We've all heard about one of the biggest problems facing American society today. It's in the news all the time -- we see it on the streets of towns large and small because the problem has to do with us, the American population. It's all about the kinds of things we put into our bodies and the lack of things we do. The problem is called obesity and recent statistics tell us 58 million Americans are overweight or obese.

The costs to our society is staggering. Only six years ago, the monetary loss due to health related problems attributed to obesity ran into the billions. Couple that with statistics telling us a whopping 78 percent of people in this country don't meet the minimum levels for exercise and the problem goes from bad to grave.

But something can be done. Obesity doesn't need to be tackled with expensive courses or prescription drugs with negative side effects. I am global sales executive from Florida with a stellar record and a long list of personal achievements and have a possible answer. I am convinced you can win your battle with the bulge by tapping into your hidden power.

I know all about the kind of personal motivation and discipline needed to be successful in any field. I have been a practitioner of the martial arts for 38 years, attaining a sixth-degree black belt in that time. It's that martial arts training that has me convinced that with the right thinking anything is possible.

The first step to finding the power within that will lead to excellence in performance in any field or make the positive changes one wants to make is you must believe that the changes wanted start from within you and start in the mind. In other words the only one who can change you is you. It starts with believing you can and it starts with our thoughts.

Let me relay a story of how one of my karate instructors had us use the power of affirmations and visualization, through progressive relaxation and breathing techniques.

I learned that any life changing behavior could be accomplished through the repetition of positive affirmations and visualization over a period of 20 to 30 days.

To get a visual picture of the power within my karate instructor had us start with simple breathing techniques whereby one sits in a relaxed position, closing the eyes and breathing in from deep in the stomach holding for a count of 3, exhale while counting to 3, and letting all the air out deep in the stomach, counting to 3 as you empty completely. This is done 10 times until your breathing is now regulated and smooth. Once the conscious mind is in this state of relaxation the subconscious mind is now ready to receive your visualization and positive affirmations. At this point you now visualize in your mind's eye that you are on the 20th floor of a building and entering an elevator. You visualize in your mind's eye going down each floor where you become more and more relaxed.

Once in a relaxed state you will now repeat a positive affirmation over and over for at least 5 minutes, three times a day. The best time to repeat is early in morning right before you get out of bed, mid-day and right before you drift off to sleep in the evening. You are actually in a light state of hypnosis (relaxed mind) right as you awake in the morning and right as you start to fall asleep in the evening.

Your affirmation must be positive and not negative in any way. Example: I will eat healthy every day, exercise 20 minutes and be at my ideal weight in six months. Repeat this over and over for 5 minutes, three times a day for 20-30 days. Visualize your new weight and how it will make you feel, confident, energetic, etc.

While the conscious mind has the ability to reject a particular thought or action, repeating positive thoughts, affirmations or action over a period of 20 to 30 days causes it to penetrate the subconscious mind or the truth center. Once here, we will get an action or a result positive or negative, depending on your programming.

The key to change is by selecting what we will focus on. In other words you are the only one who can change you and it starts with consciously visualizing and affirming positive thoughts.

Applying this principle allows each of us to achieve unheard of success in both our personal and professional life to the point where I am convinced anyone can achieve great things, including defeating obesity, if we only change our thoughts. Start tapping into your hidden power today.