They Will Never Understand

    What makes you unique? Can you do things that makes others give you weird looks or vibes? When it comes to people especially in certain industries, they fear what they don't know or understand. Its human nature to feel that when you see someone do something extraordinary or even superhuman. I've gotten this many times even by my own blood and hear things like "don't hurt yourself", "Can you do that in the other room", "It's a shame nobody pays you for that" and a favorite "Don't do that in the middle of the floor when there's people around" (I was bridging and there were 3 people in the room and weren't doing anything). I like to feel I'm unique in my own way and can do things most people my age and size can't do especially in this era. Why don't I fear the things I do? Because I not only love it I challenge the norm and see what else I'm capable of and going that extra mile.

 
    Do you get put down for what you love? How can anyone with a brain even remotely tell you, you should do something else because they can't understand? It's messed up. You're not hurting anybody and what do they really fear it's certainly not you it's them and they hate what you're capable of. When you get to pull off something that not only makes you feel incredible in a positive and productive way and you get joy out of it, people want to try to take that away from you because they're not happy with themselves and they're too damn scared to do something that could give something to smile about and be grateful to do things others can't fathom. Not everyone is like this because on the other side of the coin, there are people who want to encourage you and help you succeed. The type of people that have similar interests and share a common goal of making themselves great by helping one another and cheer you on as you cheer for them. When people put you down for what you love it's not because they don't care it's because they can't do it and they don't want you to succeed and that helps them feel better (even though it really doesn't).

 
    For those that can't fathom what you're capable of or what you're willing to strive for, it is almost hurtful to be looked at as if you're some kind of freak of nature and you're too different for them. That's the beauty of being unique, you get to be different and lead your own path to what makes you happy and give you a reason to show your talent in ways the average person just doesn't have a clue. They don't have what you have and they're jealous as hell even though they won't show it or admit it, it is there. I love being able to fall back into a bridge and kick over when I'm able to, it's a beautiful feeling. Can't say the same for some people I know because they look at me and think "he's going to break his neck and he's too big for that." You know what that tells me, it says yeah say what you want and be a negative Nancy but I'm going to do what makes me happy and if you can't take than walk away from me. I'm tired of hiding of what I'm good at and you should never hide who you are.

 
    The people that don't see the positive things that you're good at will not support you (trust me, It's been said to me in my face) but yet you can find those that will and will push you to challenge your passion because they not only see the awesome things you're capable of but want you to share them with the world and can even make a living out of it. It doesn't matter if you're a writer, a hand balancer, a manager of a small store or even one of the world's strongest men; if you love what you do and you're great at it than keep doing it and never let go of that fire that burns within you. I believe in you and if you use what you can do in a positive and awesome way than by all means keep at it and don't think you're not strong enough to be better. Coming from a guy that was told that loved basketball at one time in his life that I would never be in the NBA no matter how hard I tried it hurts to listen to that shit. You are the most awesome person you can be and your limits are your own and if you want to reach for the stars than dammit do it. Make yourself stand out and have fun with it, if you love it and you learn to be the best at it that you are capable of making it than don't let anyone stop you. Keep at it and don't let assholes take you down when you can rise above them.

It's Tuesday so make it a great one and be awesome everyone. Be sure to check out my Special Offer at the top of the site. It'll only hold until Oct. 1st. Jump on it now and find out how to get a coaching session with me on Skype.

The Parasites You Should Avoid

            There are a lot of negative people out there; people that hate, loath, disgusted and can't stand who you are and what you represent as a person. I'm a very positive person who believes in what people are passionate about in a loving, caring and enduring matter. Sure I have certain views on things but that doesn't mean I don't want you to succeed. A lot of people out there hate on what is not up to their standards and make people feel like shit about it. I’m going to help you find these crazy nut jobs.

            In the training world just like in life, there will be those who want to turn you away from what you want to do because to either “protect you”, don’t want you doing good and being successful at it because they're afraid what they don’t understand so they go to extreme measures to keep you from utilizing your potential. Some like the “one way and that’s it” bullshit, others who don't believe in anything else will be on your ass because it’s not what they believe and then there are those who feel that if you're hardcore and too passionate it’ll turn you into an obsessed freak. Man I've heard plenty of crap about what I do and been told I should do this or that and what I do is merely a hobby. Don’t be afraid of who you are.

            You are of flesh and blood just like the rest of us, you may have different views, opinions and what works and what doesn't but in the end we spill the same blood and are human. I don't care what your bench is, how many squats you can do, how high you can jump, what sexual orientation you are, what your religion is or color your skin is; you're a human being with a beating heart just like mine. A lot of people forget that being human is a gift and to be awesome takes practice; some do it to show off, others try to be awesome to be apart of something but in my opinion, to be awesome is to be you and treat your fellow man with love and respect.

            There are different people to avoid and the key types are ones that prevent you from learning who you want to be and one’s that try to steer you away from your passion and belief in yourself. There are plenty of other types but these two in particular are most common. I love mixing things up in my training because it makes me happy and it helps learn what my body is capable of. I've been told many times that I should be a weightlifter because of my size or being told that because of my size there’s no way for me to be flexible and mobile but you know what, I love what I do and there’s nobody to tell me otherwise. Most haters hate themselves because they're not doing what you do and they just flat out can’t stand it. When they hate on you, it’s not you they really hate on; it’s themselves because they're looking into a mirror and can’t stand what they see.

            Learn to balance positive and negative people in your life. When people whine and complain about what you do and who you are, look at it this way; it’s better to be hated than ignored, when people talk about you, you're making them think and that’s one hell of a gift. Being hated isn't the greatest thing in the world but on the other side of the coin, you also have people that are inspired by you, love what you do and want to learn more about it.

            When it comes to certain things, I’m in the middle and don’t really hate anyone, sure certain people get on my nerves and want to smack them sometimes but in the end, I want to be positive about who’s in my life and yes I have cut off relationships and friends but not because I hate them or wish them harm, it’s because of how they treated me and I don't deserve those types of people. Don't hate on for who someone is, be awesome to them, encourage what they're passionate about and help them in any way you can because there’s more to love in this world than the crap others put themselves through and the way they treat certain people. Be awesome and call in a mental exterminator every now and then because you don't want parasites clogging up your happiness and what you love. 

You Are Your Own Trainer

             Many people like to follow others’ programs, use their advice and form a pattern as a follower. I believe in learning certain things but once you get a hold of them, use them to create your own program. When you build your own set of workouts, you learn how to develop your creativity and find out what you’re really capable of. The exercises you really like will be your calling and they will bring the most benefit.

            Every body is different and the way it functions to that individual, when some trainers just push the body and don’t really know how to stop or keep going because that person’s body can crash at any time or it can keep going without anything going wrong. To understand how your body works, you learn to move in ways that find meaning. Some can’t do a certain push-up or a squat because of something in their body that prevents them but they’re capable of doing other things others might not be able to as well. The purpose of becoming your own trainer is to figure out what works, how it puts stress on the body that’s comfortable and challenging. I learned that there are certain exercises that I can’t do due to my body structure like Hindu Push-ups hurt my shoulders in a certain form of the exercise so I need to adapt and work with my structure to make the exercise work for me.

            We all have a creative entity within us. Those who believe they can’t be creative tend to be great at it later on if they applied it right and those who are creative develop a sense of intuition and imagination to find things that suit them for their goals. The mind is a powerful tool and sometimes it can our greatest ally and other times it can be a pain in the ass because of either stress or something that doesn't seem to go away or whatever, sometimes it’s best to step back and reflect on what can be useful within your own personal creative element.

            You are not destined to be weak and think that there’s nothing for you to learn and feel you can’t get fit and strong. What you can do is dominate your destiny, prove to yourself you’re worthy of taking on some of the toughest challenges yet still come out stronger than when you came in. When I was in a wheelchair, I did at times feel I will never walk again or at least walk in a way that was strong and vibrant. Just about every single person including doctors told me to just rehab and build my legs according to their rules and standards, push myself according to the way they felt was right to do. I decided to make my own destiny and risk a lot by rehabbing myself and learn exercises and methods that I felt were right for me to do, I got a ton of shit for it but I stuck with it because it made me feel good, it gave me hope and I wanted to desperately get crazy strong, supple and become a downright machine.

            Build what you want to do, even when others tell you that it’s not possible, they don’t believe it cause they won’t do it themselves so they have to tear someone else down. Take a chance and bend the rules, create what you want for the reasons that give you strength and the will to make it happen.

Choosing Your Own Path

            On our path to our very own individuality we are influenced by different people like family members, best friends, athletes, confidante, maybe your boss in a good or bad way either way somehow we are influenced by what is around us and what we watch, listen or that energy that just feels right. We learn from our influences who we become and what will be our destiny. Don’t try to be like your idol or anybody because they’re already taken, make a habit to learn from them to develop your own way to be who you truly want to be.

            The one thing nobody can ever teach is discovering things for yourself. In the Disney 90’s classic Hercules; Herc is becoming a rising star in the town of Thebes because of his heroic efforts to slay everything that crosses him, he’s got merchandise named after him but Zeus his father tells him that’s not the path or the secret to becoming a true hero. Herc must discover something within himself in order to a true individual and heroic figure. In the Fitness world, the general population looks to the biggest trend of weight loss, faster strength gains, quicker results and doing it with less effort when in fact it’s not real. To make things happen to build your body, it takes effort but not always physical strength but by the strength of your will and discovering what works best for you.

            Heading more towards building your body, people believe that in order to achieve that they need to be in a specific place  (Gym for example) where there are specific instructions to do this weight or this cardio machine or lifting up this heavy or light barbell or dumbbell. In reality that’s just one place where you have really more than enough places to go to make gains. Make your surroundings your strengths. When I was in Lake Tahoe earlier this month, the nearest gym was miles away and we pretty much stayed near the lake and the cabins so what could I do, I improvised by going swimming and swim hard, climb on the rocks using MovNat type training to shift, push, pull, grip and squat in many directions, lift heavy rocks by pressing, deadlifting, carrying and tossing them. That’s a hell of a workout and you never know what’s going to happen. Make the effort to be creative and use what you have around you to make the greatest benefit. The art of discovery is only something you can do, nobody else can do it for you.

            One of the greatest discoveries you develop when broadening your horizons and going on a path that is of your own choosing, learn the art of being flawless in everything you do. It’s very difficult to do and it takes time and patience but when it starts to happen, everything changes for the better and you’ll have that magnetic attraction towards people and you will find within the strength of your heart that no matter what happens, you will seem to feel alert and being at ease even in the toughest of times. You can have your own path and do anything you want in your own life. People will make you choose and steer towards something that’s more for them than it ever will be for you. Don’t let them because if you do, you’ll lose sight of who you really are and what will become of you. Walk on it, run it, play hackysack  on it whatever but find your own path and let no one stop you.

Discovering What You Love

            

             Fitness is about discovery, finding what drives you to be in shape and live a better life physically, emotionally and spiritually. Some find it and learn to keep it going with changes, new ways to challenge and again learn, others take years and don’t get anywhere because they don’t know what really works and drag themselves along and then there are those that just hate it and let’s leave it at that.

            Being in shape is great don’t get me wrong, you look awesome and can do cool things but it’s important to explore new possibilities. What can you do to challenge yourself and create different goals and setting them? There are people who get in shape just to look like a hot shot and impress others, more power to them for that but that can only go so far, if you look awesome but you’re an asshole what good are you? Find ways to not only stay in shape but have the strength and endurance to back it up. Explore what is out there, moving in different directions, being out of the gym and having to find a way to train. In the gym it’s automatic; there’s weights, machines, mats, cardio stuff all there for you but it’s a closed in space. Now go outside and find how to adapt and move freely with the environment around you, very different huh?

            One of the things I believe in is using your instincts, valuing intuition and sensing how you do things, feel and understand. It’s like the Force in Star Wars; you sense things around you, how you think and using your intuitive powers to find different meanings. If you trust your instincts and follow your energy and understanding it you’ll discover things you never thought before but there’s a dark side to it (just like Star Wars) you have to pay attention or your instincts can betray you. Learn and pay attention to how your body and mind respond to certain things, just because you think them doesn't always make them true. Follow how you respond to things, the more positive they are, the more likely you’ll love doing it but also pay attention to the negative things, if you are in pain or just don’t feel that something’s right, then you need to adjust and find something different.

            Have fun with what you do, keep it interesting and learn to get better at it. Learn to flow with things and do what you can to resist pushing too hard too fast (I've done it and I've paid for it). Have patience and make it a habit to be strong and believe that things will go the way they’re suppose to. The universe works in odd ways but there’s always a way to make it work for you. Learn the attitude, trust in yourself and be joyful to make things in your life happen.