The Sins of Success

     Allow me to pose this question: Why do you work? Is it for monetary gain, social status, providing value or serving others? Whatever your motivations there is a recurring theme of sacrificing health for wealth. Let me be perfectly clear that success is a noble pursuit that should be celebrated, but not at the cost of your overall well-being.

    In this instant-gratification society we have created too often I've seen people choose work > wellness and lifestyle > longevity only to their peril. You have to cultivate a mind-set of playing the long game with your fitness. The reality is that poor health becomes an obstacle to achieving or sustaining success. What good is wealth if you're unable to enjoy it due to injury or illness. It's pointless to be the richest person in the graveyard and you'll never see a U-Haul behind a hearse. This is not an either/or it's a both/and proposition. 

    Why be at the apex of the game and not be able to enjoy the fruits of your labor? I would argue that with more affluence comes more opportunities to invest in self-care. Your vocation is a means to an end not the end all be all. Going forward be sure to prioritize yourself from time to time and be vigilant not to commit the sins of success...

GET 2 LIVING

    Take a moment and remember back to childhood. The sky was the limit, and the world was our oyster. We had our whole life ahead of us with seemingly limitless possibilities. Now as we grew older that's when life's constraints took hold. We became entangled in the minutia of life and options narrowed and our enthusiasm became diminished. Why do we allow such a personal tragedy to occur?

    Now I've met numerous people that live with passion and purpose. They have a zest for life that is attractive and contagious. We all have witnessed people that were accomplishing amazing things and making a conscious decision to be a light in the world. Regardless of their age or what stage of life; they were committed to being learners and unafraid to seek out new challenges. 

    That's the life I strive to lead every day and the legacy that I want to leave to my family. I want to be an example of what's possible and become an uncommon man. To leave this world with no more music inside of me. To rightfully fulfill my duty and God given purpose. If you're not living on the edge you are taking up too much space. Get off of the sideline and #GET2LVN...

    

 

ME vs. MYSELF vs. I

 

Why do we constantly compare ourselves to others? 

What is it about human nature that makes us our worst critics? 

How can this internal dilemma be solved?

    There is a lot of truth in the statement: "We are our worst enemy." The fact that we seem to hinder our progress by getting in our own way. Self-sabotage is a plague that we all contend with at some point in our lives. The "scorched earth" or "burn it to the ground" mentality are vengeful thoughts that seem too familiar. At times we feel our minds are permeated with negativity or feel attracted to chaos. This internal battle within can be a formidable opponent, but an adversary that can be conquered. 

    We are the gatekeepers of our minds, so the information we acquire and the people we associate with will have a profound impact our lives. Taking control of our immediate environments and routines is a proactive approach for setting ourselves up to flourish. Creating an empowering mental narrative is crucial for overriding the barrage of negativity we are exposed to on a daily basis. Experiencing voluntary hardship alone forges resiliency and enduring difficulty with others builds comradery. These moments greatly enrich us and give our lives meaning. We all have to be aware and vigilant against kicking our own asses. Quite being your own enemy and become your strongest ally.  

Recover or not to recover?

    Recently I've been getting asked about proper recovery by clients and friends and how it compliments a training regimen. This is a great question and an area of fitness that has many opinions. Most of recovery techniques are predicated on personal preference and individual need. I'll discuss what I believe to be the fundamentals of an effective recovery routine. 

    First and most importantly your recovery has to be congruent with your training in order to be effective. For example, if you're not exerting yourself or exercising for prolong periods of time utilizing deep tissue massage, acupuncture, and cryotherapy would be excessive to say the least. Conversely if your workouts are comprised of high frequency, intensity, and volume the above recovery techniques would be beneficial. If I'm being honest a lot of individuals use recovery to avoid getting started or from pushing themselves outside their comfort zones. 

    My personal training regimen is comprised of 4-5 days of exercise using various training modalities with 1 day of active recovery:(biking, swimming, hiking, climbing, etc.) and complete rest on the Sabbath. I've used an array of recovery techniques to address specific issues or to achieve certain results. Understand that recovery isn't an either-or proposition it's done simultaneously with exercise not to avoid doing the work, but to enhance it...

What Will it Take?

    Here we are on the other side of another chaotic year. The pandemic we thought was going to be over in two weeks has lasted two years. The "RONA" virus has proven to be a great equalizer amongst our society. Everyone has been affected by this event in one way or another. Now we as a nation are confronted with a choice on how we prioritize health and wellness going forward. 

    The virus has revealed just how unhealthy and vulnerable we are. We have more fitness resources than any other country on the planet yet we are plagued by chronic disease and obesity. For too long we have chosen what is easy over what is right. Comfort and convenience are opiates of an affluent society. We have been lulled into neglecting our physical and mental health. We choose to sacrifice our bodies in the pursuit of lifestyle. 

    Now that I've stated the obvious let's discuss solutions. Healthy living has to be prioritized and incentivized in this country. It takes each of us to make all of us so, change is going to start with YOU. We all can make incremental and consistent improvements in our lives. We have witnessed the havok this pandemic has caused, so if this doesn't wake us up WHAT WILL IT TAKE!

Post - Pandemic Playbook

   Here we are at what appears to be the back side of the worst pandemic most of us have ever experienced in our lifetimes. With all tumultuous events that occur in our lives there are always lessons to be learned and harsh reminders of all the things we have taken for granted. As a fitness professional I've had a unique vantage point to this entire experience. This virus has devasted some and emboldened others. I want to present some information that will ensure that you are part of the latter group.

    We as a society HAVE to make health a wellness a priority in our lives. The greatest method of prevention is the investment into one's well-being. Quality sleep, proper nutrition, and consistent exercise will do far more for immunity and symptom mitigation than anything else. In fact, a person who is already in good health will benefit more from peripheral antidotes including: personal hygiene, meds / vaccines, and public safety protocols. What troubled me most throughout this time was the 'quick fix" and instant gratification mentality towards treatment options for the virus. The emphasis on "pop a pill'' or "get the stick" and continue life as usual was the wrong message. If we don't use this pandemic as an epitus for changing how we live, then our situation will only become more dire. This isn't the only pandemic the world has ever known nor will it be the last. Those of us who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it. 

    In closing I want to reiterate on the importance of self-care and personal relationships. We need to start taking better care on ourselves as well as others around us. The stronger and more capable you are as an individual will give the ability to assist others in their time of need. Remember that the hard times wake you up to all the good things you been missing!

     

The purpose of suffering

      I'll start this month's entry by posing a question: Why do we suffer? This is a term that everyone has some familiarity with and it's something most people try to avoid at all costs. When one experiences suffering they are baffled to why it's occurring and wants it to end abruptly. If you pay attention there is always hidden lessons amongst all the chaos.
      My mentor always told me; "The harder you are on yourself the easier life will be on you." We need to embrace suffering at times and pay attention to what it's revealing in ourselves. If everything in our lives we always great there would never be a need to grow as a person. Hardship gives us the ignition to create change or to wake us up to all the good things we've been missing. You rarely understand the purpose while going through the torment, but I can't remember any point in my life where I endured suffering that I didn't come out better on the other side.
    We as human beings need that dichotomy to exist to keep us striving forward and to keep us humble. These difficult experiences draws us closer to: our creator, our loved ones, and reveals to us what's important in life.  We need to get our asses handed to us on occasion, so that we can never say: "we have it all figured out."