12 Inspirational Quotes that Have Shaped My Life Over the Last Year

Here’s the list of quotes that have inspired me over the last year. Worth posting on the mirror or your computer!

Personal Trainer Wisdom:

“You can't reason someone out of something they didn't reason themselves into." - Tim Ferriss

“He who suffers before it is necessary suffers more than is necessary.” - Seneca

“When you say 'yes' to others, make sure you're not saying 'no' to yourself" - Paolo Coehlo

“When you have exhausted all possibilities, remember this: You haven't.” - Thomas Edison

“Happiness is wanting what you have." - Tim Ferriss

“It’s in the valley of failure that we sow our seeds of success." - Entrepreneur James Altucher

“While human nature largely determines how we hear the notes, it is nurture that lets us hear the music.” - Jonah Lehrer

“Well-adjusted is not an accidental state." - David Foster Wallace

“Surrender yourself to the moment." - Google :)

“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I’ll spend the first four sharpening the axe.” – Abraham Lincoln

“I’ve learned an important trick: To develop foresight, you need to practice hindsight.” – Jane McGonical

“Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm.” - Winston Churchill

Photo Credit:
Georgebthomas .com–When was the last time something inspiring lit up a new idea within you?

Weird Facts About Your Food that You'll Want to Know About

Did you know that Guinness used THIS to clarify their beer? Did you know that bees are fed THIS? Did you know that THIS part of the beaver is used in your baked goods? IF you’ve wondered, you’ll find these answers and more here…and you’ll be shocked. Thanks for the insight, Wes!

Guinness Brewery used fish bladders to clarify their beer

Guinness, like many other brewers, use isinglass, a by-product of the fishing industry that’s used to clarify the beer and make yeast settle faster. While most of the agent is filtered out during the brewing process, there are still traces of fish bladders in the finished product. – Reported by Fox News in 2015

Personal Trainer Wisdom: An interesting process that I don't believe is used too often for other beers. Although Guinness just discontinued this practice, it's a reminder that it’s worth learning about your favorite products (especially if you're a vegetarian).

Cattle bone char is used to process sugar

Bone char, which is used to process sugar, is made from the bones of cattle from Afghanistan, Argentina, India, and Pakistan. The bones are sold to traders in Scotland, Egypt, and Brazil who then sell them back to the U.S. sugar industry. The European Union and the USDA heavily regulate the use of bone char. Only countries that are deemed BSE-free can sell the bones of their cattle for this process. Bone char—often referred to as natural carbon—is widely used by the sugar industry as a decolorizing filter, which allows the sugar cane to achieve its desirable white color. – Reported by Peta

Personal Trainer Wisdom: Another process that may be harmless to your health but a violation of your ethical principles regarding animals. How important is this need for a decoloring filter?

Bees are fed high fructose corn syrup

Beekeepers feed their hives over the winter, when the bees are not working pollinating crops. Because of its cheaper expense, beekeepers, like processed food manufacturers, have moved away from supporting the bees and the baby bees (grubs) with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) instead of honey. – Reported by Hopkins Medicine

Personal Trainer Wisdom: You are what you eat, and you certainly are affected by your prey’s diet as well. Think: Cellular and genetic levels.

Eggs are not dairy.

Eggs and dairy are lumped together on the prehistoric food pyramid….but eggs are not dairy.

Personal Trainer Wisdom: Due to decades of misinterpretation, generations are now convinced that eggs, like butter, milk, and cheese, are considered dairy. Besides the obvious physical differences, eggs don’t contain lactose or casein…defining characteristics of dairy. All forms of dairy are essentially the product of an animal (ie milk). While you can argue eggs are a product of animals, their structural makeup is essentially the beginning stages of life (ie chicks).`

The secretion from the anal glands of beavers are in your baked goods.

Castoreum, which is used as vanilla flavoring in candies, baked goods, etc., is actually a secretion from the anal glands of beavers. – Reported by Wikipedia

Personal Trainer Wisdom: Have no wisdom here. Poor beavers.

Photo Credit:
Mental Floss .com–Is fish bladder really necessary for making beer?

The Detailed Itinerary You NEED for an Adventure in Australia (You'll Need to Save This)

Let me help you take the guesswork out of your planning. My wife and I recently explored Australia for our honeymoon. Here is the DETAILED itinerary from that epic trip!

General Itinerary

May 2-4: Fly to Sydney
4: Sydney (booked bike tour)….buy OPAL travel card
5: Sydney (booked bridge walk)
6: Sydney (find a zoo ferry that day/booked tickets for the Opera House)
7: Sydney (booked blue ribbon blue mountain tour)
8: Hamilton Island (Booked sunset sail)
9: Hamilton Island (open)
10: Cairns (open)
11: Cairns (booked Seastar Cruises)
12: Alice Springs (booked sunset camel ride)
13: Alice Springs (booked 1 day Uluru trip)
14: Melbourne (open)
15: Melbourne (booked bike tour)
16: Melbourne (booked GOR tour with GoWest Tours: 7:30 pickup)
17: Melbourne (booked with viator Yara Valley Wine Tour)
18: Sydney /Fly to Chicago

Flights

2-4th: Fly to Sydney (confirmed with seats)
United Flight UA639 from Chicago/Flight UA839 from LA
Depart: 7:17 pm (05/02) ORD
Arrival: 6:45 am (05/04) SYD

8th: Fly to Hamilton Island (confirmed with seats)
Virgin Australia 1281
Depart: 9:55 am SYD
Arrival: 12:30 pm HTI

10th: Fly to Cairns (checkin at the airport for seats together)
Qantas 2504
Depart: 11:55 am HTI
Arrival: 1:10 pm CNS

12th: Fly to Alice Springs (confirmed with seats)
Qantas 1949
Depart: 8:15 am CNS
Arrival: 10:10 am ASP

14th: Fly to Melbourne (confirmed with seats)
Qantas 797
Depart: 12:35 pm ASP
Arrival: 3:40 pm MEL

18th: Fly to Sydney (confirmed with seats)
Virgin Australia 809
Depart: 6:45 am MEL
Arrival: 8:10 am SYD

18th: Fly to Chicago (confirmed with seats)
United UA870 from Sydney/UA458 from San Fran
Depart: 10:30 am SYD
Arrival: 4:11 pm ORD

Hotels

4-8th: Sydney
Sydney Harbour Bed and Breakfast
142 Cumberland St., Sydney
+61292471130
Checkin: 2:00 pm
Checkout: 10:00 am

8-10th: Hamilton Island
Whitsunday Apartments
14 Resort Drive, Hamilton Island, 4803, AU
+61749699999
Check-in: 2:00 pm
Check-out: 10 am

10-12th: Cairns
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Cairns
121-123 The Esplanade and Florence St., Cairns, QLD, 4870
+61740506070
Check-in: 2:00 pm
Check-out: ?????

12-14th: Alice Springs
Chifley Alice Springs Resort
34 Stott Terrace, East Side, NT, 0870 Australia
+610889514545
Check-in: 2:00 pm
Check-out: ?????

14-18th: Melbourne
Heather’s Airbnb
377 Little Collins Street 31, Melbourne, VIC 3000
+61410872530
Check-in: 2:00 pm
Check-out: 10:00 am
Directions: Our preference from the airport is the Skybus which drops you at Southern Cross Station at a cost of $19 per person, you can buy tickets at the airport or online. One of us can meet you at the bus terminal and it's a short tram ride to the apartment. Taxi fare is $50-$60, the trip is around 25 minutes.

Tours

4-8th: Sydney
4th: Bike Buffs Sydney Bicycle Tours
Meeting Point: MEETING PLACE FOR YOUR TOUR IS THE GARRISON CHURCH AT THE CORNER OF ARGYLE STREET AND LOWER FORT STREET, WELL JUST OPPOSITE ACTUALLY ON THE VILLAGE GREEN. 0414 960332
Start: 10:30 am

5th: Sydney Bridge Climb
Meeting Point: 3 Cumberland Street, The Rocks, NSW 2000
+610282747777
Start: 12:05 pm (arrive 15 minutes early)

5th: Open PM (Tasting Tour???/Bondi or Manly Beaches)

6th: Open Am (Ferry to the Zoo???)

6th: Sydney Opera House (Concert Hall)
Meeting Point: Bennelong Point, GPO Box 4274, Sydney, NSW 2001
+69712101035
Start: 8:00 pm (arrive 30 minutes early to pick up tickets)

7th: Blue Mountains Tour
Meeting Point: We’ll be picked up.
+0421892760
Start: 7:00 am?????
Notes: Email them between 7am and 2pm the day before and quote the conf. number with our address. We will receive the pickup time then.

8-10th: Hamilton Island
8th: Sunset Sail Whitsunday Islands
Meeting Point: Resort Centre Tour Desk next to Sails Restaurant (7am – 7pm)/Reef View Hotel Tour
Desk in the Hotel Lobby (8am – 5pm)
+0749468305
Start: 4:45 pm (until 6:15 pm)

10-12th: Cairns
11th: Cairns Seastar Cruises (Great Barrier Reef): Michaelmas Cay and Hastings Reef Day Cruise
75 Esplanade, Cairns, Qld 4870, Australia
Meeting Point: Pier E1 of the Marlin Marina
+0740416218
bookings@seastarcruises.com.au
Start: 8:00 am (boarding starts at 7:30 am)
Notes: $15 fee pp is payable on the day on the boarding, call 48 hours in advance to reconfirm.

12-14th: Alice Springs
12th: Sunset Camel Ride
Pyndan Camel Tracks, 21259 Jane Road White Gums
+0416170164
pyndan@cameltracks.com
Meeting Point: We’ll be picked up 30 minutes before (4:30).
Start: 5:00 pm (until 6:00 pm)
Notes: Call or text 48 hours in advance to reconfirm pickup/tour.

13th: Uluru Adventure
Gray Line Office
Shop 7-9 Capricornia Centre (opposite Information Centre), Gregory Tce, Alice Springs
+610889522177
alicesprings@grayline.com
Meeting Point: We’ll be picked up at 5:50 am.
Start: 6:00 am (until 12:30 am)
Notes: Call or text 24 hours in advance to reconfirm pickup/tour.

14-18th: Melbourne
15th: Freddy’s Bike Tours
Meeting Point: See notes.
+61431610431
james@freddysbiketours.com
+0431610431
Start: 11:00 am
Notes: They will send details about the meeting point the day before or you can meet 15 minutes prior at their shop in Batman Park.

16th: Great Ocean Road Day Tour
Go West!
+0394855290
info@gowest.com.au
Meeting Point: Pickup at Adina Apartments, 189 Queen St.
Start: Pickup at 7:35 am
Notes: Call or text 24 hours in advance to reconfirm pickup/tour????

17th: Yarra Valley Food and Wine Day Trip from Melbourne including Lunch at Yering Station
Vinetrekker Wine Tours
Melbourne city hotels or St Paul's Cathedral/Cnr of Swanston & Flinders Streets, Melbourne. Located opposite Federation Sqaure and Flinders Street Train Station.
+61 3 96998148
Meeting Point: approx 8:45am-9:00am (confirmed the night before)
Start: 9:00 am
Notes: Call or text 24 hours in advance to reconfirm pickup/tour????

Photo Credit: australiansky .co .uk - The Opera House is only one of the many things you should see Sydney.