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Dry January motivation: Doctor shares the 5 reasons to stick with it - TODAY

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Ninety-five years after his birth on Jan. 15, 1929, and nearly 61 years after his historic "I Have a Dream" speech, Martin Luther King, Jr.'s stirring words and writings remain as relevant and inspiring today as they were when he lived.

Honor King's lasting legacy by reading 55 of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s best quotessome you may have heard already and some you probably haven'tbut all of them are worth repeating and contemplating as we celebrate equality, faith, and the profound truths of his message. From MLK quotes about peaceful protests to more, here are 55 MLK quotes.

1. "We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope."

2. "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."

3. "Forgiveness is not an occasional act. It is a permanent attitude."

4. "I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear."

5. "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."

6. "Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'"

7. "Never succumb to the temptation of bitterness."

8. "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."

9. "We may have all come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now."

10. "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

11. "Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle."

12. "Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend."

13. There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right.

14. Let no man pull you so low as to hate him.

On Aug. 28, 1963, in front of a crowd of 250,000, King departed from his prepared words to share a dream that would mesmerize the nation.

15. "If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward."

16."Intelligence plus characterthat is the goal of true education."

17. "Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope."

18. The time is always right to do what is right.

19.Be a bush if you can't be a tree. If you can't be a highway, just be a trail. If you can't be a sun, be a star. For it isn't by size that you win or fail. Be the best of whatever you are.

20."We've got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn't matter with me now because I've been to the mountaintop... I've looked over and I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the promised land."

21.For when people get caught up with that which is right and they are willing to sacrifice for it, there is no stopping point short of victory.

22."I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant."

23."True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice."

24. There is nothing more tragic than to find an individual bogged down in the length of life, devoid of breadth.

25. Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will.

26. A lie cannot live.

27. There can be no deep disappointment where there is not deep love.

28.Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. giving his 'I Have a Dream' speech.

Francis Miller/Time Life Pictures/Getty Images

29. There comes a time when people get tired of being pushed out of the glittering sunlight of lifes July and left standing amid the piercing chill of an alpine November.

30. We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies.

31. Nonviolence is absolute commitment to the way of love. Love is not emotional bash; it is not empty sentimentalism. It is the active outpouring of ones whole being into the being of another.

32. We are not makers of history. We are made by history.

33. Rarely do we find men who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think.

34. We must build dikes of courage to hold back the flood of fear.

35. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred."

36. "Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love."

King at age 24.

37. "Hate is just as injurious to the hater as it is to the hated. Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. Many of our inner conflicts are rooted in hate. This is why psychiatrists say, Love or perish. Hate is too great a burden to bear."

38. "Power without love is reckless and abusive, and love without power is sentimental and anemic. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at its best is power correcting everything that stands against love."

39. "In some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty."

40. "We shall match your capacity to inflict suffering by our capacity to endure suffering. We will meet your physical force with soul force. Do to us what you will. And we shall continue to love you."

41. "If one loves an individual merely on account of his friendliness, he loves him for the sake of the benefits to be gained from the friendship, rather than for the friends own sake. Consequently, the best way to assure oneself that love is disinterested is to have love for the enemy-neighbor from whom you can expect no good in return, but only hostility and persecution."

42. "Thats love, you see. It is redemptive, and this is why Jesus says love. Theres something about love that builds up and is creative. There is something about hate that tears down and is destructive. So love your enemies."

43. "You know, a lot of people dont love themselves. And they go through life with deep and haunting emotional conflicts. So the length of life means that you must love yourself. And you know what loving yourself also means? It means that youve got to accept yourself."

King, his wife, Coretta Scott, and their first-born child, Yolanda, shown here at home in Montgomery, Alabama in 1956.

44.All we say to America is, Be true to what you said on paper. If I lived in China or even Russia, or any totalitarian country, maybe I could understand the denial of certain basic First Amendment privileges, because they hadn't committed themselves to that over there. But somewhere I read of the freedom of assembly. Somewhere I read of the freedom of speech. Somewhere I read of the freedom of the press. Somewhere I read that the greatness of America is the right to protest for right.

45. "You can kill the dreamer, but you can't kill the dream."

46. "I want to be the white man's brother, not his brother-in-law."

47. "Even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream."

48. "A right delayed is a right denied."

49. "Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed."

50. "The hottest place in Hell is reserved for those who remain neutral in times of great moral conflict."

51. "We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools."

52. "The quality, not the longevity, of one's life is what is important."

53. "A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus."

54. "The moral arc of the universe bends at the elbow of justice."

55. "I am not interested in power for power's sake, but I'm interested in power that is moral, that is right and that is good."

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55 of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Most Inspiring Motivational Quotes - News-Daily.com

Caroline Wozniacki made a bang in the Australian Open 2024 bagging her first victory against Magda Linette to qualify for the second round. Right after the victory in AO 2024, Wozniacki, who has returned to Tennis after 3 years of retirement, chose another Slam instead of another kid!

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The worlds former number-one tennis star Caroline Wozniacki gave birth to two kids with her husband David Lee, a retired NBA star. She thought about retirement after her marriage in 2019, when she expressed her interest in taking care of her family. Now this tennis star is back to ace the game of tennis on the court again with incomparable energy and excitement!

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Recently a trusted tennis fan shared Caroline Wozniackis comments after winning the first round of the Australian Open 2024 in their X (formerly Twitter) profile. This person added Wozniackis statements, which read- It makes me appreciate this so much more that Im able to do this again, it more makes me want to go for another onenot another kid! Another Slam!

Caroline Wozniacki stated this comment to the ESPN commentator Chris McKendry. She expressed her happiness in being able to play Gran Slam tournaments once again after two kids. While tennis stars struggle to come back to their old form after retirement, Wozniacki is showing tremendous skills.

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This worlds former number-one tennis star won the trophy at the Australian Open in 2018. Now with her debut victory this season, fans expect Wozniacki to deliver more amazing performances at the tournament.

Caroline Wozniacki made a ravishing comeback against Magda Linette being the winner of the round in fifty-five minutes: I felt I played really well, I tried to take the ball early, tried to be aggressive. I still feel my serve could be a little better but hopefully in the next match thats going to happen.Following her victory, Wozniacki moved to the second round, where she will play against Maria Timofeeva.

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She further added, The dream is to win it obviously, Ive worked hard to be here, to be back at this stage I didnt think Id be back here. Its really a bonus, Im just really grateful to be out here but I really feel like Im playing well so why not me?

Read more: Time Spent With My Dad Is Always Memorable Caroline Wozniackis Emotional Takeaway Despite Liverpools Tough Loss at UEFA Champions League Final

Wozniacki truly impressed her fans after delivering such a great performance when she was diagnosed with Rheumatoid arthritis in 2018. After this disease, Wozniacki suffered from joint pain, stiffness, and swelling. This Danish player admitted that there are days when body says no. Therefore, her success deserves a standing ovation from the fraternity.

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After giving a full spectrum priority to motherhood, Wozniacki now is just looking forward to winning more Grand Slams!

Watch this story: Queen Serena Williams Arrives With Her Princess Olympia in London for Her 24th Slam Quest at Wimbledon Championships 2022

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'Not Another Kid! Another..'- Tennis Mom Caroline Wozniacki Reveals Newfound Motivation After Winning Start at the ... - EssentiallySports

Since Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson referenced Roman Reigns' "Head of the Table" nickname at "WWE Raw: Day 1," rumors have been swirling that the wrestler-turned-actor is set to collide with "The Tribal Chief" at an upcoming premium live event. On his "1 of aKind" podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Rob Van Dam evaluated the motivation behind Johnson's comeback.

"The Bloodline is or has taken over, and The Rock's coming to support that," Van Dam said. "That's why he's coming back. He's not coming back because he misses wrestling.He's not coming back because he needs to get in the ring again, real bad. Making all that money, doing movies, has [been] wearing him out, and he needs to get in the ring and bang his elbows and knees or anything like that. He's coming to support his family and to pay it forward with The Bloodline by drawing attention, and money, and everything that comes with that."

Johnson, whose most recent full-length WWE match took place in 2013, revealed a few months ago that he was penciled in to face Reigns last year at WrestleMania 39, but he and WWE failed to put together a significant storyline plan. In the end, the match was nixed, with Johnson indicating he would be open to staging the dream bout at WrestleMania 40. Although recent reports have suggested Reigns vs. Johnson is the front-runner to headline the second night of"The Show of Shows" in April, the Australian government has made a pitch for Johnson to appearat February's EliminationChamber inPerth, which in turn could lead to the two Anoa'i family members colliding down under.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "1 of a Kind" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

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Rob Van Dam Assesses The Rock's Motivation In Returning To WWE - Wrestling Inc.

Sometimes, we just dont feel like it. We say it about ordering Chinese food on a Tuesday night. We claim it when asked if wed like to help put away the holiday decorations. We routinely use the generic excuse for all matter of things, big and small. Are we going to vote? Are we going to get married? Are we going to get out of bed early and get in a workout today? Probably not. Were just not feeling it.

Are we really making most of our life decisions based upon how we feel at any given moment? Or are we simply refusing to think instead relying upon the less complex emotional response to keep us from engaging more deeply and intellectually? With the coming of each new year, our culture has formed expectations about using the early days of the calendar for personal planning. What do we hope to accomplish in this trip around the sun? Are we going to lose weight, read more, learn piano or spend more time with family? Whatever it may be, we set our sights on some aspirational goal. Still, most of us have scant chance of realizing the objective.

We work at it for a bit, even joining a gym or planning a family meal. But then we start to lose steam. Where is our motivation? Why dont we feel like making our dreams come true? Why isnt someone motivating us? Why is the world making us feel demotivated? As we lurch headlong into another year, perhaps we should start our quest for self-improvement by setting some ground rules. Do we sponsor our own fire or wait for others to bring it to us? Is motivation internal or external? What can we expect and how can we think through to better outcomes?

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Opinion: Getting a feel for motivation Current Publishing - Current in Carmel

We all know that sometimes it's not the

If your New Year's Resolution was to work out regularly, or start up (and commit!) to a training plan, then you might be feeling especially 'meh' at this point in the month apparently the second Friday of January is known as 'Quitters Day' and is the time at which we all bail on our 'new year, new me' commitments.

But not you. Oh no, because you have our 16 tricks to stay on top your plan and committed to that #GymLife (including advice from top personal trainer and online coach, Hannah Kerridge, founder of HKFitness)...

The key to getting an early morning gym sesh in is to make it as easy as possible to roll out of bed before your brain has time to realise what you're doing. Prep everything you can the night before - we're talking your breakfast, your headphones, and crucially, your outfit. Some gym bunnies even swear by sleeping in their workout gear so that they really can just get up and go. It'll feel a little gross at first, but hey, it's going to get sweaty anyway, right?

The worst sound in the world is that droning, beeping iPhone alarm, so why are we all still waking up to it every single morning? Switching to your go-to dance jam will make those early starts a little more bearable, putting a spring in your step before you even get the first sniff of coffee.

Go for something with a strong beat, the type of track you'd want to work out to - and make sure to mix up the playlist, lest you condition yourself to hate the song more than you hated the OG iPhone alarm in the first place.

Let's face it: if you don't physically have to get out from under the covers, it just ain't happening. Provided you don't share a room with someone who gets up significantly later than you, leaving your alarm or phone as far out of your reach as possible will force you to leave your duvet cocoon to switch it the hell off. By the time that you're vertical, the hard part is already over, and you might as well crack on.

Forcing yourself to attend a kickboxing class when you hate martial arts? Not a vibe. Having to rouse yourself to go to a dance class that you adore when you get there? So much better, says Kerridge. "You're more likely to stick with and be enthusiastic about an exercise plan if you actually enjoy what you're doing," she notes. "Trying a new class in particular can boost motivation too, not only does it mean you won't have to think about or plan what exercises to do you just turn up, do the class and go home but our brains respond well to novelty."

Time your hair washing schedule around your workouts

Let's say you're going to work out three times a week, and you're an every other day kinda hair-washer. Make a deal with yourself that you can only wash your hair after the sweaty end of that hardcore spin class or half hour run - and if you don't go, you've gotta stick with the grease. Not only is a long hot shower a great post-workout treat, if you do choose to skip it, you know there's only so much that dry shampoo can do

Use old pictures to your advantage

Instead of paying heed to the advice of picking a snap where you're unhappy with how you look, why not set your background to a picture where you felt best in your body? Every time you see that image, you'll be reminded of your goal, and the fact that it is achievable, because you can see it on yourself.

However, a word of caution here, says Kerridge: "You also need to be realistic. If you're looking at a photo of yourself from a year ago, when you were in the best shape of your life and you want to work back towards that, then great!

"But if people are using images of themselves from years ago, say their teenage years and they're now in their thirties, that's not going to work. Our bodies change over time, for a million reasons (hormones, giving birth, metabolism slowing down), and that's normal. Don't set yourself up to fail by setting an unrealistic target for yourself."

... or surround yourself with fitspirational quotes

Set that lock screen to a motivational fitness quote instead. Whether it's 'you'll never regret a workout, but you'll regret skipping one' or 'stop wishing, start doing', pick an inspirational gym phrase that resonates with you and keep it somewhere prominent.

In addition to your phone, you could use it as your wallpaper on your work computer, or stick a print of it on the mirror you look into every morning. It's all about that mentality, baby.

According to colour theory, red is the colour of energy, making it ideal for days when you're working on crushing your cardio. No need to go head-to-toe tomato, as even a little pop is likely to invigorate you, and you can get similar stimulation from brights like neon too.

At the other end of the spectrum, cooler blues and greens can aid concentration and focus for slower-paced workouts like yoga or weights.

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Feeling like you can't face exercise at all today? Tell yourself that you're just going to put your kit on. Once you're wearing the right stuff, it's very unlikely you'll change back out of it without doing anything. Promise that you'll work out for just five minutes, and then five minutes more, and keep challenging yourself until you're really, truly done. Even if you only do 15 minutes, it's 15 minutes more that you felt like you wanted to do at the beginning.

A killer workout playlist is obviously a great motivator, but sometimes, a really great podcast is even better. Podcasts vary from hilarious (we're loving Call Her Daddy and Kathy Burke's When There's A Will, There's A Wake) to fascinating (BBC History Extra Podcast, anyone?) to inspirational (TED Talks), so there's something out there to distract everyone from the pain of sweating it out on the treadmill. Limit yourself to only listening to an episode or a chapter when you're exercising - soon enough, you'll hit an awesome cliffhanger that will make you uncharacteristically desperate for your next workout, just so you can find out what happens.

Be it at the end of the working day, or first-thing in the morning when all you want to do is crawl back into bed for some sneaky extra kip, repeating a mantra will help. "Instead of thinking 'urgh, I have to work out' why not try repeating to yourself 'I'm lucky that I can workout' or 'I'm grateful that I have a gym pass'," Kerridge suggests. "It'll help you to feel like exercise isn't a punishment, but a positive addition to your life. The second you start seeing it as a punishment is the second that motivation levels will start to dip."

She also advises remembering your 'why' so why you wanted to commit to working out in the first place and repeating a mantra related to that e.g. 'I'm doing this to feel more confident on my next holiday' or 'I'm doing this because I know it helps my mental health'.

If people can show off about their incredible holiday or latest shopping haul, you're well without your rights to shout about your fitness regime from the rafters. Not only is using social media a great way to record your progress and keep yourself accountable, it gives you instant gratification every time you upload a snap and the hearts start flooding in. If you can't bring yourself to exercise for the health benefits, the endorphins or the epic meal you'll get to eat afterwards, then by all means, do it for the likes.

Most of us wouldn't go to work if we didn't earn money, so applying the same principle totally makes sense - almost like tipping yourself every time you keep to your workout schedule.

We get it: most of us work out for another glass of vino, or an extra slice of cake, and we'd never deny you booze or carbs. But if you can break free of the cycle of feeling like you have to 'earn' food, you can learn to associate other enjoyable activities with exercise for instance, always having a hot bath with expensive bubbles or watching an hour of your fave Netflix show after a workout. Eventually, your body will begin to anticipate the treat at the end of the hard stuff, and you'll start realising it's totally worth it after all.

Having someone to rely on for added motivation can be really beneficial, says Kerridge. "Not only will they spur you on, but you're less likely to bail especially during an early morning session if you know someone is relying on you!"

There will be times that taking a day off is needed and beneficial, says Kerridge, but you need to be honest with yourself. Are you really sick or are you feeling lazy? Or are you feeling like it's not worth your time anymore because the results aren't happening fast enough? "If you work out three times a week for an hour, that's around 1.8% of your week, and in the grand scheme of things... that's nothing. Those three sessions are enough to reduce your risk of diabetes, depression, certain cancers and more. Exercise can be your superpower and should be celebrated."

"Don't go in with an all or nothing mindset, a lot of people lose motivation because they expect their whole life just to be figured out in the gym, or they want quick results and if they don't see them, their will to work out drops," she adds. "Understand it's a lifestyle change and a long process, but as part of that even the most dedicated of gym rats take time off. The key thing is they get back to it after a break or some time out."

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Lost your motivation to work out? These 16 hacks will help - Cosmopolitan UK

By now, nearly two years after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, there is a familiar rhythm to Elina Svitolinas days.

The missile attacks from Russia generally happen overnight, so in the morning, just after she opens her eyes, she grabs her phone to see where the bombs have fallen. There is a call to her grandmother in Odessa. No matter how many times Svitolina has asked, her grandmother has refused to leave her home and her cat.

There is time with her 15-month-old daughter, Skai. There are many hours of training. There are phone calls related to her own business, and many more related to fundraising and relief efforts for Ukraine, through her work with United24, Ukraines main war relief fundraising organization, the one her countrys president called to request her help with. Sometimes these stretch into the night and dont finish until after she has put Skai to bed and had dinner with her husband, the French tennis player Gael Monfils.

Its a lot, and yet Svitolina, the comeback player of the year in womens tennis in 2023, insists she is lucky. She has her parents and her in-laws helping with Skai, and many others helping with the relief efforts and her other pursuits. And then there are all the soldiers, people she grew up with, doing the really hard work.

I have a lot of friends, male friends, and theyre all at the front line, the 29-year-old Svitolina says during a video interview from Monaco, where she was getting ready for the 2024 season.

There are tennis players who won more matches and earned more money in 2023 than Svitolina, and players who achieved more acclaim. But its hard to imagine a player having a more shocking and impactful year, a stunning ride from the minor leagues back to Centre Court at Wimbledon during which both tennis fans and those who paid little attention to the sport blanketed her with unique and unbridled adulation.

Were the roars for Carlos Alcaraz, the mens Wimbledon champion, as loud as those for Svitolina during her run to the semi-finals at the All England Club, or to the quarter-finals of the French Open at Roland Garros weeks earlier? Definitely not.

Here was a different Svitolina, maybe even a better one than the Svitolina who rose to No 3 in the world in 2017 and won the WTA Tour finals the next year. That Svitolina didnt have the steeliness, or the drive, or the purpose of this one, because during those few days last July, when Svitolina was the biggest story in the sport, or maybe in any sport, there was a new surety to those forehands and backhands she lasered down the lines in the tightest moments against the Grand Slam champions Victoria Azarenka and Iga Swiatek, the world No 1. There was a kind of serenity about her as she floated from one match and moment to the next.

This whole motivation around me, with different kinds of projects with my foundation, with United24, with all the people behind me, I got enormous support from Ukrainians, but also around the world and it really motivated me to go for more, to really push myself, she says. I found myself in the quarter-final of Roland Garros, then in the semi-final of Wimbledon, playing great tennis and being super motivated and with a fresh mind and fresh energy.

No one saw this coming. Here was a player coming back from giving birth, with so much of her attention focused on motherhood and on the trauma that her family and country were enduring. No one in the sport envisioned Svitolina shooting up the rankings so quickly, if ever.

Well, actually, thats not completely true.

Last January, three months after Skai was born, Svitolina reached out to Raemon Sluiter, a well-regarded Dutch tennis coach, to see if he would consider taking her on. Where others might have seen the challenges of a postpartum comeback, Sluiter saw an opportunity. There was no question about Svitolinas raw talent. No one rises to No 3 in the world and wins the season-ending championship by accident. But there was another dynamic at play that made working with Svitolina so enticing for Sluiter.

With the tennis off-season so brief, players rarely get a chunk of time to really train and practise, to consider making changes to how they play.

If you really want to change something, you have to cut your season short, Sluiter said during a recent interview.

At the time of the initial call, Svitolina did not plan on returning to competition for another three months. Sluiter saw this as a golden chance for her to evolve. He told her not to worry about her busy life off the court. All she needed, he said, was to be dedicated and focused on tennis when she was training.

I would take 30 minutes of quality training over two hours of just going through the motions, Sluiter said. Its about being intentional and very present.

If Svitolina was tired, or feeling overwhelmed, he told her to take the day off. Given everything else going on in Svitolinas life, Sluiter knew this was a player and a person unlike any other.

Flash forward a few more months. Its October and Svitolinas 2023 tennis ride has come to an end. The pain from a stress fracture in her ankle, which began during the French Open, intensified during Wimbledon and became debilitating during the North American hardcourt swing, forced her to end her season after the U.S. Open.

This is when Svitolina told Monfils she wanted to visit Ukraine. Understandably protective, her husband was scared and wary. Even though its my homeland, its still tough for him to realize that I want to go back, I want to go to the country where the war is, she says.

Monfils ultimately understood and, in November, Svitolina took the arduous trip involving the 10-hour train rides to Ukraine for 10 days, first to see her grandmother in Odessa, then to Kyiv and Dnipro, where she met with government officials and caught up with old friends, then to Kharkiv, which is just 20km (around 12 miles) from the Russian border.

Svitolina moved there when she was 12 to train and pursue her career as a pro tennis player. She went to see her old coaches and the club where she played her first tournaments and to be with the kids who are training there now and continuing with their lives amid the war.

Its such a big motivation for me to see that in Ukraine life continues; they are having this unbreakable spirit that nothing can really bother them, nothing can break their spirit, she said.

This is really a huge motivation for me when I am playing a tough match. When Im facing tough moments in my life, I always remind myself of the people that have to deal with war, that have to deal with the loss of their homes and, you know, just trying to really survive, to live a normal life. And of course, the soldiers, the men and women who are defending our country, who took the weapons in their hands.

After she returned home, and as her ankle healed, Svitolina got back to work. Once more, Sluiter saw the injury as something of an opportunity, giving Svitolina an extended off-season to refine and develop her game without the pressure to return to competition.

Sluiter didnt prescribe anything radical, rather, merely doing what she began to do last year to an even greater degree.

She can approach matches with a more aggressive mindset and try to control matches more and play them more on her terms than on the opponents terms, he said.

By mid-December, Svitolina was able to play 90 per cent pain-free, though she remained concerned about how her ankle would feel on the hard courts of Aucklands ASB Classic, her main tuneup before the Australian Open, and how sharp she might be. Coming back from childbirth, she largely struggled to win during the first six weeks. She found her form in late May in Strasbourg, the week before the French Open.

So far, so good.

With Skai in tow for her first big tennis road trip, Svitolina won her first four matches in Auckland, two against former Grand Slam champions, Carolina Wozniacki and Emma Raducanu, before losing a tight final to Coco Gauff, winner of the most recent Grand Slam event, who won 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-3.

Im playing more freely, Svitolina said last month. Before, I was a tennis player from Ukraine. But right now, its very different. Different motivation, different goals. And for me, its important every single day to take the opportunity, to give 100 per cent on each practice, each match, and do everything that is in my power.

(Top photo: Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

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Elina Svitolina: Ukraines unbreakable spirit is a big motivation for me - The Athletic

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) The LemonstoLemonadeParent & StudentsMotivationalTour took place on Saturday at Springfields Duggan Academy.

According to Parent Villages, this tour is a motivational event that encourages parents and students to tap into their talents. This tour is the first of its kind in Springfield.

This event is powered by Parent Villages and was hosted by motivational speaker and CEO of Stand Out Truck, Mychal Myke Connolly. He narrated his inspiring journey from The Bahamas to becoming a successful business owner in America.

Connolly wrote the Lemonade Book which describes how a group of kids start a business and the lessons they learn through that experience. This seminar was part of the lemonade tour parent-youth summit which is designed to encourage parents and students to improve their lives.

The President and CEO of Parent Villages, Latonia Monroe-Naylor told 22News that events like this help to connect and transform the lives of two generations at a time, Lets bring everyone together and lets have these conversations, because up until now these conversations were not happening in our community. They happen in wealthier communities, but they do not in communities like Springfield and we need to change that.

There was also a dance performance, speakers, a panel of entrepreneurs, and local celebrity comedian Lil Hunter Kelly from AmericasGot Talent performing at intermission.

Over 300 parents and studentsare expected to attend, along with local community leaders and elective officials. Each participantwill receivea boxed lunch andMyke Connollys book LemonadeBook.

Monroe-Naylor added that these conversations are essential in the community. Parents and students were able to learn about entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and come up with an action plan to bring families closer to their goals so that they can succeed.

22News began broadcasting in March 1953 providing local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Follow WWLP-22News on X@WWLP22Newsand Facebook.

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Motivational event for parents and students in Springfield - WWLP.com

Thing is, that type of intensity prevents a lot of people from even giving it a shot, she explains. A more approachable way to think about it: Start your day with a relaxing ritual. For Kelly, thats drinking coffee while watching her favorite YouTube videos for about 15 to 20 minutes before willing herself to exercise. I am not a morning person, explains Kelly, who nevertheless works out early as a way to fit it into her busy schedule. When I know that the first things I get to do in the morning [are things] I really enjoytheyre just fun to me, theyre not hardit makes me want to get out of bed.

Think about a chill activity that soothes you, whether thats scrolling cooking videos, cuddling with your pup, or doodling in a coloring book, and make that the first item on your a.m. docket before you even think about lacing up your sneakers. Sure, youll have to wake up a few minutes earlier, but knowing something enjoyable awaits will make climbing out of bed, and ultimately sticking to your workout plans, a lot more doable.

If the thought of a daunting workoutwhether thats an hour-long spin class, a five-mile run, or a hot yoga sessionis enough to keep you hiding under the covers, make things less intimidating by planning for shorter workouts that actually gel with your schedule. Remember: You dont have to sweat it out for a certain amount of time for it to count as a workouteven brief bursts of movement can provide awesome physical and mental benefits.

To get the most bang for your buck, look for short classes or plan routineslike a 30-minute HIIT class, or a 20-minute full-body strength sessionthat will have you working hard without sacrificing tons of your precious morning time. This approach can spell the difference between being up at 5:30 versus 6, says Gruba. And knowing you dont have to get up quite as early can make the habit that much easier to stick to.

If the thought of putting on tight exercise clothes first thing is enough to quash your motivation altogether, make your workout feel cozyway more appealingby dressing in ultra-comfy attire. Think: that super soft hoodie or those luxe velour sweatpants. This is another method Kelly relies on to make her early morning workouts happen.

By just changing what Im wearing, I change my whole attitude, she says. Instead of pulling on form-fitting or compressive gear for a morning run, for example, she swaps it for a baggy sweatshirt instead, which she says automatically makes her feel happy and relaxed. If I know Im gonna feel nice and warm and cozy, then this run is going to be fun, Kelly says. Its not going to be intimidating.

And remember: Just because everyone else in spin class wears bike shorts, or your whole running group dons compression pants, it doesnt mean you need to follow suit. You can just wear what feels comfortable for you, Kelly says.

If youve put your hard-earned money into a workout class, chances are youre going to make sure you get to it. Grubas gym charges a no-show fee for folks who sign up for one and then bail, and she says that monetary incentive helps a lot of members stick to their a.m. plans. After all, no one likes to feel like they just flushed dollars down the drain.

Originally posted here:
How to Work Out in the Morning When Getting Up Early Just Plain Sucks | SELF - Self

HOW STREAKS MOTIVATE BEHAVIOUR

By tapping into various psychological drivers of behaviour, streaks can motivate people in several ways.

In general, a streak adds a higher-level goal (keeping the streak alive) to a lower-level goal (completing an individual activity). Streaks also add structure to an activity, and structure can simplify thinking and decision making. The extent to which goal achievement or structure is important to you would influence your commitment to a streak.

I also found the way a streak is structured can affect the streak-holders commitment to it. For example, a streak of meditating at least 20 minutes each day may be more appealing, and lead to more commitment, than a streak of meditating at least 140 minutes each week.

While the amount of meditating is the same in both cases, a daily streak adds structure, thus simplifying decision making, and encourages the person to regularly engage in a beneficial behaviour.

Streaks can serve to gamify the underlying activity by creating rules and quantifying the outcome, and many people enjoy the challenge of a game.

Finally, I found that activities that are more relevant to ones identity are more likely to generate commitment to a streak. If someone identifies as religious, a daily streak of praying may be more appealing than a daily streak of playing Wordle because a praying streak can provide a way of demonstrating ones desired identity to others.

While streaks can compel behaviour, they do not motivate all people for all situations. They can even have the opposite effect. Some people are turned off by the prospect of a streak because theyre concerned about being obligated to it, as reflected in the comments of a former streak runner: I realised that, if I let it, the streak could become a thing that controlled my life, my travel and those around me.

As the calendar turns to a new year, many people resolve to engage in self-improving behaviours that facilitate better mental or physical health. People often begin streaks on Jan 1 or other important dates, such as holidays, birthdays or anniversaries of noteworthy events. Such temporal landmarks add meaning and structure to the streak and create a fresh start effect.

While many people make New Years resolutions, only a small percentage of people complete them. My research suggests that structuring a resolution as a streak may be the nudge that some people need to stick with it further into the new year - and maybe far beyond.

Danny Weathers is Professor of Marketing at Clemson University. This commentary first appeared on The Conversation.

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Commentary: Keeping a streak alive can be strong motivation to stick with a chosen activity - CNA