Is Everything A Competition???

           Many of us have that competitive spirit, the will to not give up until we have accomplished a goal or try to beat another person or group of people. Why do we become so competitive that it overshadows our way of being a good sport? I’m not saying competition can’t be positive, it is but to a degree. We compete to be the very best over something else (mainly sports) and beat our rival or over run a team.

            You don’t always see the smallest sides to competition and most of the time they don’t always matter at all but on the other hand, competing against something else that truly matters and not always competing just for the sake of competing. We all find something that we want to beat or just make a note of it whether it’s in business, sports, culture, exercise or whatever and we want to find that edge that trample over what we have to overcome.

            In m opinion, you can find fun in competition. It’s not always trying to over rule your opposing man and finding a way to hurt them whether physically or mentally that’s not fun at all. I understand that it sucks when you lose but also it’s not always pleasant being a winner. Learn to value that you fought through it and still came out alive. I get it that there are certain things at stake but you made those odds or you got caught in the cross fires and now have to deal with certain modalities. Having fun with certain forms of competition can give you a sense of no matter what the outcome you’ll either learn a valuable lesson or you use strategy on how to be better and not so much bitch about it and make it the end of the world.

            When it comes down to it, there’s one competitor that you have to deal with no matter where you go, who you’re with or whatever happens in your life from the time you’re born to the day you die, it’s YOU!!! That very same person you look at in the mirror is your ultimate competition and how you handle it is up to you. You cannot compete with anyone else because everyone else is temporary but you’re still there.

            I know what it’s like to fight myself and beat myself up in my own mind and there’s no such thing as a perfect record. To this day, yes I have issues but I’m not going to let that part of me take over what I truly want in my life because if you let your personal issues, demons whatever you want to call them get in the way of what you desire and what you want to accomplish, than you haven’t learned how to face them and make them your personal bitch. We all have issues and problems no matter what but that doesn't define us unless we choose to make it.

            Learn to love who you are, have fun with what you have, become what you desire and giving you a reason to keep living with vigor, vitality and great health. You are more than you ever think you can be and there’s no reason why you can’t be truly happy and climb that ladder of success because you have the power to do so. Be strong, be happy and use that competitive spirit to overcome the very things that try to tackle you down. 

Growing From Within

          Our past is a beginning but it’s not the end. The experiences we face as children into adulthood is massive but the simple way to make it is; we are born, we begin to walk and talk at a certain age, we play, we go to school, graduate, go to college, get a job, get married, have kids, grow old and die. Whatever happens in between all of those is only experienced by us. What a crock. We’re all different and these don’t happen for everyone. We learn from our past experiences to bring us what can make us successful in our future, not everybody makes that jump or knows how to take the opportunity. Don’t let your past define who you are, let your past be history and develop your future tomorrow while staying in the present because it’s a gift you're still here.

            Every one of us has a purpose in life. Some of us find what we want to do, others have a purpose of not working at all and even some feel there is no choice but to sacrifice your purpose in life for something else. We all have dreams as kids of what we want to do. We imagine making building, carving things with our bare hands, some of us wanted to be a sports star, others a cop or fireman. The majority never make that dream a reality because to them it’s just a phase and then we move on with life. I believe if you truly went after what you wanted to be that had a major impact and it gave you happiness, love, prosperity and a future that had you pay the bills and give your children a future, you would be one crazy son of a bitch to make it happen. Develop your sense of purpose by finding what drives you, makes sense to you and makes you happy.

            Going through triumphs and failures is a natural part of our existence, where there’s triumph in one area, there’s failure in another there’s no debating that. Some look at failure as a sign of weakness but in truth, failure is another lesson we learn to find what we can accomplish and overcome. Triumph is not always being a hero but something you wanted to overcome over a period of time where you achieve goals and make something of yourself and trampled over things you thought were impossible at one point. Failure is just another test where if you fall, you learn to pick yourself back up and come back stronger than ever. Strength comes from the heart and how you use your mind, it’s not always muscle or as Yoda would say “Not this crude matter” it’s about the strength you have to keep driving and making yourself a better person even in the mist of failure.

            Not everything comes from a DVD, CD, seminar, book, or a retreat for that matter. Everything comes from self-discovery, having influences that help keep that drive but it’s really what you find within yourself that makes all the difference. Sure something you watch or read or listen to can be an influence but you made that choice because some how you wanted to. How you live your life is your choice. Make that connection to discover what makes you who you are and don’t let anyone tell you different.

            Certain people in your life will want you to fail because they want you to suffer like they have. They will try to break you, tear you down and will say things like “you should do this instead”, “It’s a hobby, not a career”, “you can’t do that it’s impossible”, “I don’t think you’re cut out for this.” Don’t look at those things as a sign to doubt yourself, what do they know, they don’t have your ambitions or imagination or even the guts to challenge your goals, that’s your job. At the heart of your potential it all boils down to what you believe and what you want to happen. We all have great potential for great things, we’re not born with a college degree or just happen to be natural at something. We never start out great; it’s the effort we put in that will make us great.

            Learn to discover who you are from within. Never give up on yourself and find your true calling. I believe in you but don’t take m word for it, the only person you should believe in, is you. 

Connection & Individuality

           There’s always energy surrounding us. Sometimes we feel it more so than others, often the majority can’t even fathom or notice it but it is there, how we use that energy is up to us as a whole; physically, emotionally, intuitively, spiritually and mentally. Like the force, energy binds us, connects us and hits us from every angle even when we don’t notice it. It’s that universal power that creates the fire and emotion we all have.

            We are all connected but also have a single body. Our connection to others has different meanings whether you’re good or bad, part of a religion or a spiritual enthusiast, race, creed it doesn't matter what does matter is when something is off balance something always seems to hit us in one way or another. Connecting with others gives you the opportunity to learn and understand where they come from and what they mean to you but also as an individual it’s important to learn about yourself and how you see yourself having that connection.

            We strive all our lives to find who we are as a person and for some, they become something they didn't expect to be, others feel it’s their destiny to be apart of something and then there are those that are forced into becoming something they don’t want to be. Finding who you are is the ultimate challenge and it’s never easy but once it hits you, you never want to turn back and move forward with what you want to become. Loving others is another challenge and it’s just as hard as finding who you are but it’s simpler. Loving another human being is a state of mind in my opinion because no matter what they've done that may seem hurtful or even grateful, in your mind they’re still a human being and having some kind of love for them makes you nobler, caring, giving and having the will power to not give into the hate.

            There are different meanings to certain things but all have a common goal; being accepted. Accept who you are and accept who certain people are because the more you try to change who you are or someone else, it’s just going to be a bigger burden on you. Accept change. Not saying you should join a cult or become a mass murderer I’m not talking that kind of acceptance, I’m talking about acceptance that’s meaningful to you and it has a positive notion of how you want to see the world. Our mindset is different from each person and we all see the world in our own way but yet if you learned to shift your mind to a positive image and feel love no matter where you go, our energy changes, our emotions perk up, we find things that make us happy.

            I’ll tell you first hand that even around people I love and care about, some of them don’t accept me as a person because of some of the things I do or say, hell they can’t stand my sense of humor most of the time and it’s not a burden on me, it’s on them but it’s up to me to learn how to control my mind and see a more positive outlook from those who have no real positive objectives. What I’m pointing out is that even if you’re not accepted even by those closest to you, you must accept yourself. It’s one thing and when you learn to use it, the rest of the world don’t mean a damn thing except you made it a priority to love the world for what it is.

Isometric Philosophy Developing Strength of Body and Strength on Mind

     I'm an isometrics devotee. If you're unfamiliar with isometric training it is very simply the contraction of a muscle or series of muscles without moving the angle to the joint. Essentially you tense and hold a muscle in a given position without moving for a set number of seconds. Doesn't sound like much does it. I mean you're not even moving. But Isometrics are the most intense form of physical exertion - and the most effective.

In this article I want to introduce to some of the physical benefits of Isometrics, but beyond that I want to share with you the great secret of Isometrics, beyond the ripped, warm marble physiques, beyond the near superhuman physical strength (I leg pressed over 17,000 lbs during a one and a half minute period in my last workout), but the remarkable mental strength one develops - The Immovable Mind.

   Isometric Training is the SINGLE most effective method of strength training available. In 1954 two German Scientist, Muller and Hettinger conclusively proved in over 5,000 independent clinical trials, that one could increase strength by 5-15% with a single 7 second stimulation once a week. Subjects in a later study performing a daily 7 second contraction increased their strength by 72% in 46 weeks. The fall of strength after the end of training is very slow. 70 weeks after the end of training their strength was still 42% higher than before the beginning of training. After doing nothing for over a year and a half they were still 42% stronger than when they started. Since then hundreds of studies have been conducted reinforcing this conclusion.

  Isometrics are, due to their static nature an incredibly safe form of training and far safer than weight lifting which can cause severe problems not just to pressure and, bone and joint shearing but have been shown to seriously damage the heart. More over you can train in isometrics without moving, using contraction alone, or you can alternatively use your bodyweight or various bands and cables should you wish - depending on what resources you have and what your current fitness levels are. There are an infinite number of ways to incorporate Isometrics into you daily life or workout routines. And the best part is you can finish a workout in as little as 7 seconds per muscle – so you can finish working out your entire body in less than 3 minutes of exercise. What’s more, at advanced levels, you don’t have to exercise every day. :-)

  From a physical point of view Isometrics offers safer, more effective and rapidly more time efficient results in terms of muscle building and strength...but that's not their greatest gift...that is within the realm of the mind.

I train in the martial arts, in particular, Japanese Swordsmanship daily. It's a cornerstone of my life, so my sword is very important to me. A lot of time and thought went into the design of my sword and it reflects my desire to improve myself. Why am I telling you this?  Because of the little man on the handle of the sword (tsuka). I have an image of a Buddhist deity known as Fudo Myo-o. Now I am not a Buddhist, and for me this images contains no religious significance, but I like the mythology of this guy.

  Fudo Myo-o legend tells us is a guardian of the Buddhist Deities. He is often depicted as livid blue in colour standing upon a rock covered in flames. In his right hand he holds a sword, in his left a rope. Fudo uses the sword to cut through delusion and untruth. He uses the rope to bind these. And while I won't go into the philosophy behind Fudo at length, he represents to martial artists and warriors (bushi) the concept of an immovable mind.

  Isometrics teaches us to strain our muscles maximally against and immovable force. As a result we grow remarkably strong and thick muscles. To do this however, to strain the muscles voluntarily to their upmost requires great mental strength, great will. Isometrics thus teaches us to not only to develop the strength of the body, but the strength or our minds;  an immovably strong Isometric Mind. In Japanese this is called "Fudōshin" (Japanese: 不動心) a mental state of equanimity or imperturbability (literally and metaphorically, "immovable mind", "immovable heart" or "unmoving heart"). It is a philosophical or mental dimension to Japanese martial arts which contributes to the effectiveness of the advanced practitioner. This is turn gives the isometric trainee great mental clarity and teaches them to cut through the delusions and loose ends that sap you of energy, distract you from purposeful and productive action and ensures that you reach your goals without interruption.

  Incomplete actions drain our energy; they are the quite leak that sinks the ship. They manifest in many ways, a dietary plan that's on the fridge but is never followed through on, someone ripping you off leading to a lingering resentment, or as experience with being "halfway" through that "project" for MONTHS.

You've probably noted by now, much of my philosophy (I have a degree in Philosophy by the way) is rooted in the Japanese Martial arts. There is a reason for this. The concept used to succeed in life and death combat can be applied to any struggle, this includes the work / life balance, work itself, diet and training and more. Unsurprisingly the primary method of strength development in the martial arts is Isometrics. The trick to success in any endeavor and in Isometrics is to apply that small amount of will power to keep moving you in the right direction, to move you towards habitually right choices. For when we are in the habit of training, of eating well, of living well, we no longer have to expend will power on ensuring this. Then we can move on to the next goal knowing that we will automatically continue upon the path and repeat the steps necessary to succeed.

  In order to succeed in Isometrics or any program or choice you make in life that steers you towards improvement and away from easy and comfortable choices that lead only to poor results and lifestyle you need Will Power and Awareness, Isometrics, carves both the body and the mind, providing you with an immovable bedrock of strength in each. With an Isometric Mind, Immovable Will, Fudoshin you can resolve yourself to confront poor habits and build better ones. Cut away your delusions and bad habit. It will be a battle, but one Isometrics can teach you to WIN.

  If you'd like to learn more about Isometrics and the Isometric Mind check out my complete 7 Week Training Guide – 7 Seconds to A Perfect Body, The Scientifically Proven Method for Transforming Your Body in Just Seconds! Over 250 pages and filled with more than 100 photos it will transform your body from your face down to your toes, sculpting your physique and letting you develop astonishing strength with just seconds of exercise.

About the Author

Paul "Batman" O’Brien, is a fully qualified Acupuncturist and Traditional Chinese Medical Practitioner. He is also a certified in Western Clinical Medicine, Oriental Body Balance, and holds additional qualifications as a Fitness Instructor, Personal Trainer, and Whole Body Vibration Trainer.

He runs a busy private medical practice in Dublin, the Meridian Acupuncture Clinic and is also a Reality Based Combat Instructor, Iaido (Japanese Swordsmanship) Instructor, President of the Iaido Association of Ireland and dedicated martial artist having studied the martial arts for over 20 years.

How To Become Tarzan In Your Own Way

            In the Jungle, you don’t know what to expect, don’t always where to eat or drink because there’s always something else that might get in your way. You’re constantly on the move and you can go from tree to tree or you run on the ground. To move like a wild animal, you must learn its moving patterns, where to plant your body when you land, which direction to use your arms to get where you want to go. Tarzan is a great reminder of how to use your body and mind.

            When you've been in a certain environment long enough, you know where everything is, you know what can be dangerous and it becomes second nature to you. You can use that to your advantage when you want to train. When you learn how to use your environment as a resource for exercise and fitness, you can take it anywhere and anytime you want. You don’t always need one specific place, when you aren't used to a certain environment, learn how you can make it your strength and learn how you can use it to get in awesome shape.

            One of my friends Ed Baran has a few words that he says called Way Of The Animal, it’s related to how you move like a wild animal in the Jungle, using your body to develop strength and muscle like an animal. It is far healthier and much more natural to move like an animal in the wild than sulking in a gym waiting to use the weights. When you head outside and go to a park, there’s a great connection there. Since kids are back in school as of late, this is the time to reflect on getting them in tuned with their animal counterparts by imitating them to fight off obesity and other forms of illness.

            A thing I have learned over the years that I’m still learning is to follow my intuition meaning how to use my awareness in a mindful way. For me, my intuition is never wrong and whenever something comes up no matter what it is, it’s usually spot on. Like Tarzan from all his time in the Jungle, his intuition is so powerful that it’s kept him alive, it’s helped form a bond with his body and mind when he senses danger and needs to protect himself. Granted yes in the movies he never dies because the script said so but there is some truth to that notion when you learn to follow your instincts and something inside of you is telling you something, you better listen.

            Have fun when you’re learning how to use your intuition, your way of moving around your own environment and practicing the movements of a Jungle animal. Too many of us get stuck in this rut where things are so downward and dull, boring and we don’t give ourselves time to relax and enjoy what we have. I understand you have certain things to deal with in your lives but that doesn't mean you make it harder on yourself to control what you really can do in a more productive and positive way. Channel your energy and learn from somebody like Tarzan, he’s got more issues then you do and yet he still has that child-like quality of him that still plays even in the worst conditions of the Jungle. Be fun and have a kick ass time.