@ home behind the sun 3/30

Too many people are concerned with too many people.  Dedicate that energy to improving yourself and not worrying about gossip or measuring yourself against others.

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There isn't one ultimate style of training that everyone should be using.  Variety is the spice of life.

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If you're wasting time hating your competition, work on becoming more confident.

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If colleges are making millions on kids jerseys, the kids should be paid. 

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You can really learn a lot by hanging out w kids (under 10) for a day.  

Remember when you believed you could dodge rain drops?

Remember when you couldn't step on a crack in the sidewalk?

It's strange how we grow older and let all of our uniqueness slip away... Only the brave will find it again. 

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Finally watched a bit of "Food Inc." Anyone else wondering when we became so irrelevant to our own government?  Monsanto is legal but there's a plant that grows for free that can reduce your risk of cancer, relieve pain, slows the progression of Alzheimer's, dissolve the effects of anxiety, can be used to treat epilepsy, can help with neurological damage, can stop HIV from spreading throughout the body, and can lower insulin levels in diabetics.
I know this isn't a new debate but, damn it's staggering every time it pops in my head.    We're headed in a pretty bad direction and I really don't see it turning around.  I used to believe candidates and votes meant something, but corporations and money run this country, not citizens.  

Buy local, be logical and get involved.

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"Sometimes I think I'd rather hang out w dolphins instead of people."  Livi, my 7 year old.

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There's a very soft generation of boys coming through.  Something big needs to happen to re-install a sense of masculinity.  I'm not a "man up," kind of chest thumper but there are some very blurry lines here.  This isn't about gender roles or anything like that, but there are some things a guy has to be able to do and I think the generation coming along now is lacking.
Who wants on the Podcast to debate this?

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I train and sell real estate.  In both atmospheres I hear "you're not what I was expecting," as a very nice compliment.  

Thank you.

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People ask me "hey have you heard of (insert pop artist)?"

So happy I have no clue who they're talking about.

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I'm learning the importance of balance in life.  Unfortunately, I'm very used to the gogogogo energy and schedule and so is everyone else.  If you think I'm pulling back, it's just to breathe.  Pulling back isn't pulling out.

Make time for work, for play, for your family.  Make time for yourself.  Find balance and be comfortable.  

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Anyone know how to add music to a YouTube video so it doesn't delete or block from being viewed on mobile phones?

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I was at a maple-fest today... Not something I usually do.  I ordinarily do everything I can to avoid real social interaction.  But this was good.  

Might be what's missing.

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If you're interested in listening to something other than mind numbing FM channels we have in Cleveland, try a podcast or an audiobook. I've taken that step and it's a real game changer.  

Podcast rotation: The Joe Rogan Experience is definitely number 1.  Too guests you'd probably like: Graham Hancock; Christopher Ryan; Aubrey Marcus and Neil DeGrasse Tyson... Or maybe it's Neil Tyson DeGrasse?  Check out Neils show "cosmos," on television as well. 

Also check out the Warrior Poet Podcast (philosophy), The Mike Dolce Show (fitness).

They've helped me turn my thoughts back to a higher sense of truth and life, as in what our lives should be and/or should be headed towards.  They've helped me question my own "why's," and rewrite or erase some old rules.  They've helped me raise my own bar for my own expectations as to what I want out of this short life. 

I refer to it often but rarely spell it out.  But the truth is, this will be over before we know it, some sooner than others.  Wrapping it up w some amazing stories and moments and experiences and connecting with people, that's everything. 

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I wrote my first @ home behind the sun when I was 20 and it wasnt that different than this one.

Titled after a lyric in Pearl Jam's "Wishlist."

"I wish I was an alien... @ home..."

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If we don't move or buy a new car, why do we have to renew our plates every year? 

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Everything is water... 

Money comes and goes, energy comes and goes,  moments come and go, love comes and goes, everything flows.  When the gates are closed and nothing is able to flow out, nothing comes in and vice-versa.  If all you do is give, you have to be open to receive.  if all you do is receive, start giving back.  Don't hoard your money, don't hoard your energy, don't hoard your love.  Give and receive and keep it moving.  

Everything is water.

I Flipped It

Somehow, things flipped upside down and I didn't notice it happened.
I stopped counting sessions and started counting dollars.  And if you know me, that's probably a really weird sentence to read because I don't really give a $hit about money... or so I thought.  But I found myself pulling out a calculator far too often and adding up my minutes and then trying to figure ways to hit daily financial goals.  I never stressed about not having an appointment, I stressed the finances.

(I should have sat down to write to this a couple months ago, I would've figured things out sooner.)

Then it started to feel like I was carrying something on my back... I could feel weight.  I sat down to think in a quiet room, and within 5 minutes, my head was falling, my neck was aching and my shoulder blades were on fire.  The stress and pressure that I put on myself because of money had been felt in the physical form.  I remember standing up angry... pissed.  How could I do this?  How could I have changed?  How did I let money effect my priorities.

For about 24 hours, I was in a bad, bad mood.  I didn't talk much and I didn't train.
I went home after work, prepared myself for about a 60 minute jog and headed out.  Somehow I thought "This is probably what I need."
But my jog turned into a walk and jog.  Not because I couldn't run long enough but because I was listening to a Deepak Chopra audiobook and he was saying things that I needed to focus on and couldn't while running.  I needed to move my body slower and with control.
For the life of me, I cant remember the part that hit me, but I remember walking through the woods, getting emotional yet feeling clear and thinking "I've lost my way," and I was happy to know it.  I was happy that it hit me like that, to not feel lost or stranded at sea, thinking your swimming your ass off only to realize you've been swimming in the wrong direction.... and that the actual direction takes very little effort at all.
I turned onto my street to head back home... but then I thought "the book isn't over and my legs aren't tired," so I turned around and jogged another 3 miles.

I remember him say "I'm aware, I exist, I create," and that has been my calming mantra since that day.
No one even noticed that I was getting weird or stressed but it was totally kicking my ass and I honestly thought about quitting.
Now, rather thank thinking "How much is this day worth?" and wondering about money, I think "What can I make happen?  Who can I help?  How can I serve?"  Those words are so incredibly powerful to me, HELP and SERVE, just writing them down excites me.  Tomorrow, I know my schedule will from about 6am-8pm and some time ago, I would've debated trying to dodge some appointments.  Now, I'm packing my bag and extremely excited about the opportunity to be with people and make something awesome happen, to help someone break through a plateau, to have a conversation that helps someone, to deliver a training session that pushes physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.  I have such an amazing job!  I really do.  I get to help people evolve and I don't do it in a douchy "Hey do this!" kind of way.  I've always said "I'm on the path too," and there are so many ways for everyone to grow.  Its not all you should take a yoga class (but you should) or go for a run or do this or do that, it's do what feels good, but don't be shy to push your boundaries and do different things even if they're uncomfortable or new or what you may think is out of you element.  My first yoga class was a few years ago and I walked in, largest guy in the room... probably the only guy in the room, and had no clue what a down dog was or what the heck she was saying with all this chatarunga stuff and everything else those whacky yogi's say :) but I dove in and it changed every single thing in my life.
Someone recently said to me (or maybe she text me) that my workouts delivered a similar emotion that yoga does, that my session opened up some feelings inside that were difficult to deal with but lead to a breakthrough... that's the f'ing paycheck.

I hope my random rants disguised as blog entries helps at least one person step out of their comfort zone and stretch for some positive growth or just to be a little wind in the sails.  The daily grind can be just that, a freaking griiiind and it can whip our butts.  Sharing our stories and connecting, thats the juice we need.
Enjoy.
Peace, love and empathy.

#23

I hung a poster with this quote in the Power Room... I don't know if anyone will really stop to read it and that's ok, I kind of bought it for myself.
I remember when this commercial aired...

On one side, I think "Oh, that's great MJ, but your freaking MJ so I'm not sure we're that comparable."
But on the other, it's easy for us to remember all the shots he hit, all the points he scored, all the awards he won, all the championships.  We don't remember the misses... but he does.  He remembers every slight an opponent ever gave him as he was coming up on young Bulls teams in the late 80's.  He remembers how bad the Pistons tried to physically hurt him and his teammates during those playoff runs from 87-91 and how they lost all those years.  Even going back further, the legendary story of MJ getting cut from his high school basketball team... He went home and shot free throws until his dad made him go to bed... Then he did it again the next day.

I'm mentioning this and using MJ as the motivation because FAILURE is everywhere.  I think back to everything I've failed in... relationships, jobs/careers, training, goals, etc.  Most people don't know, the Power Room is located in the same place my previous employment was, and that failed pretty miserably.  So going back in there and trying again, it made me wonder... a lot.
Failing in anything will make you wonder if you have what it takes to get over the hump, to get past an obstacle, to be successful.  I think you could probably fill in the blank with your own list of failures and think about the time you doubted yourself or wondered, "Am I good enough?"

You can never quit.
You have to know that hard work will pay off.
You have to be fearless, but not reckless.
You have to be open to criticism.
You have to be willing to grow and evolve.
You have to look everywhere for that growth.
You have to learn from failure.
And you have to let it go and try again.

I said,

"There's nothing I can do to inject your heart w willpower.  Other than me standing out here trying to remind you why we do what we do, there's nothing I can do to make you want it."

These conversations are the "mirror," and they either play w their hair and look away or they're locked in and they get it, they acknowledge it, they know it's true.   

There's no reason to NOT work at maximum intensity w full effort, especially when working towards huge goals.  If we're goofing around, playing checkers, ok that might not be an all out effort.  But when we're working towards goals, life changing goals, working towards moments we'll never forget, there's no reason to hold back.
Hold back, stay comfortable, you'll regret the outcome.
Sell out for your cause, for your goals, in every moment possible and you will experience opportunities you never would have otherwise.

The above was just an example of a recent situation I had while working with a team, but think about how easily that mindset translates to all areas of life.  Too many times, we feel we can just coast along and everything will just magically work itself out.  Or there's a room full of people, but no ones taking the controls and steering the ship because everyone's either too busy passing the buck off onto someone else or no one wants responsibility or even worse yet, they're afraid to fail.
In every situation, you have a choice.  You can sit back and hope to get lucky, hope that someone will just pull you towards success or you can get off your ass and do everything possible to make it happen.  

  "The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses – behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights."

-Muhammad Ali 

And don't forget to vote for the best personal trainer and training facility in the area, right HERE!

Progressive Leadership - Part 2; You Are Your Actions

You Are Your Actions

I've known coaches who preach a healthy lifestyle... but go out eating chicken wings and drink beers multiple nights per week.
I've known people in management who preach work ethic and accountability... but make excuses every time the finger is directed at them.
I've known trainers... who didn't even train?  Huh?  I cant believe I just wrote that!  I have literally known personal trainers who actually had clients pay them, but never worked out themselves.  My god, sometimes I truly feel like I occasionally enter a bizarre universe where right is left, down is up and people aren't rewarded for their hard work (?)
...sorry about that rant.

Point is, it's very difficult to lead, if the staff doesn't believe in you, because they know you're not practicing what you preach.   When you're speaking to a group of people, lying and making it believable is nearly impossible.  If you come in ranting and raving about sales... but you're not selling, or you've never sold anything yourself,  that isn't going to float for long.  If you're trying to grind away for more production or whatever an end goal may be and then take a week of vacation.... people are going to turn on you.

And again, understand that this isn't about just one manager or a coach or a parent, its about all of them.  Every possible position of leadership there is from the time you wake up until you fall asleep, there are opportunities.   Rule #9 in the Step to Success, "Remember, how you conduct yourself on the field is just as important as how you conduct yourself off the field," now think of how that pertains to your work environment or home life.  It's about not being a hypocrite.  When it hits the fan, you have to be strong and step to the front before anyone else and own it, for better or worse.  When the team loses, its my fault.  And when they win, they got it done.  Period.

Its right there in the word, LEADership.  LEAD.  If you are your actions, this one is easy.  If you're not your actions, then you're just not a leader.

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Most people know I grew up a Penn State fan, a Joe Paterno die hard fan... and we died hard.  Why?  Because this above rule wasn't used. Had coach put his words into action, the history books and the University would be very different today.  I really think that's the most glaring use of this rule.  His actions and the actions of his bosses, fell incredibly short and because of it, children were hurt badly, his reputation was forever ruined, the University's image tarnished, and for this one fan, a moral hero was forever erased.

When you have the opportunity to step up and do the right thing, do the right thing.  If you witness something, step up.  If someone needs your help, step up.  Even when you think you may be in danger or you fear losing your job or that someone may be angry with you, step up and do the right thing.  Turning away, acting like you didn't see it, that's a coward move and karma will bite your ass hard one day.
Why are searching for strong, real leaders?  Because too many at the "top," (or so we like to think) sit there and save their asses, while never rolling the dice and having any balls to stand up for whats right, regardless of what the outcome may be.    

When the clock runs out, no ones going to remember what you drove or what your 9-5 was.  They're going to remember what you DID, what your actions were, and how you treated people.