LOVE (and other very random thoughts)

I've had that topic sitting in the menu bar for about 4 days now... Maybe that's saying something about me.  

I had this thought while talking to a friend... I was kinda giving him a hard time about quitting smoking and working out and all the other topics that come flying out when I get up on my soap box and do my imitation of a motivational speaker.  My friend expressed that he wanted me to stay on him a bit but hearing me scream out "Where the F are you going?" every time he tries to sneak away can wear you down.  I think he may quit smoking just because he's thinking of smashing his cigarettes into my face... and that's ok.  I'll take it and smile when he's smoke free, rebuilding healthy lungs and saving $80/month. 

But then I started checking myself more and why I do that to him or anyone else that gives me the opening...  I went through a run where I pulled it all back and left everyone alone.  I thought "No one is going to want to be near me or talk to me if all I talk about is yoga or training or diets or podcasts or..." anything else that absorbs my life.  But I truly think it effected me and still is a bit.  I mean, I REALLY pulled back (and I know of one friend reading this right now nodding along,) and in pulling back, I lost energy.  I lost momentum.  So last time I saw my friend roll his eyes at me, I said "I'm not saying this to be a dick, I'm saying it out of love," and I mean that 1000%.  I don't say the things I say or do the things I do just to be a big mouth character (or however you see me, I have no clue) but I say because I want you to live.  I want you to achieve your goals.  I'm on a mission that I'm taking very, very seriously and I want you on it.  That mission is to turn dreams into reality.  I know it reads like a cheesy T-Shirt or some Facebook quote but thats what its alllllll about.  And you cant make it happen by staying who you are today... it happens by becoming the person you need to become to reach tomorrow.  If all you care to be is the "TODAY," version, you'll always stay right here.  I want to move forward and evolve and grow and succeed. 

Think about this... what do I, personally, have to gain by YOU reaching your goals?  Think about that...
That last conversation, may have been our last, right?  You never know.  So in that thought, I have ZEEERO to gain by helping you get it done.  I wont make any money off you, I may not be there to see you succeed, I may not every hear from you again and vice versa, so what do i have to gain?  
Nothing.  This is just me and these are the things that need to come out of my mouth to keep my wave growing, to keep my momentum pushing forward and barreling down on the list of 50+ life goals that are always in my lap top bag that I update and check off constantly.  Wheres yours?  
Its not a "me vs you," kind thing.  Its a "join me," kinda thing.
I want to motivate you because I love you and I want you to want it as bad as I do.
And sometimes love isn't just a hug... sometimes its a nice boot to the ass.  I've been lucky enough to have some pretty key men in my life to teach me this lesson.  Sometimes love is hearing something you don't really want to hear, but you need to hear.  And who can tell you better than someone who truly loves you.  Now, you're not reading this as a big, motivating, green light to go home and tell someone how much you hate how they cook or smell or whatever, but Im saying dont be shy when the conversations get emotional.  Dont be afraid to say how you feel, even if it might sting.  Love is truth and motivating, for better, and we'll turn out that way if we flow with it and not hold back.  

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Along the lines of holding back.... 
Why i stopped teaching yoga a few weeks ago and in true "dumbass J," fashion (I have a habit of walking out of rooms without saying good bye), never explained why to those who were enjoying my class.  
Here goes... 
I was coaching, teaching, going to school, working the day job and training.  Throughout that hurricane of a schedule, anxiety and stress built up along with the above mentioned "pulling back."  And what I noticed was that I was having troubles being honest with myself.  I just dug down and said "Get to work and get it done," and didn't take great care of myself, didn't sleep much, didn't train enough, definitely didn't take one yoga class, etc., and because of that, I couldn't teach a class and tell you to do it.  That last yoga class I taught, I felt it... it felt robotic and I knew it was time to take a break.  I could the words sticking in my throat... I knew they weren't 150% honest and just couldn't force it out.  And if the yoga isn't honest, its not happening for me.  
That's probably my #1 pet peeve.  I've been on the flip side, the member/client/student side where I knew the person in front of me was full of shit, and I couldn't take it.  As a student, I'd hear things and think "What a freaking phony," from an instructor I just couldn't believe.  (Not being overly judgy BUT how can a 22 year old really tell a room of weathered adults how to be?  You're 22!  As Ben Harper said "You have to live my life to get boots like these," and I'm sorry but... I'll hear from Ben, not from you.)
Notice, the personal training and strength classes picked up when my yoga pulled back?  I can go off with that all day and not lose energy because it's more explosive and chaotic, whereas the yoga is more emotional and intimate and you cant fake either.  
So, it's just a seasonal thing.  I'll get my other side back real soon and start incorporating the Power Plus action.  

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The Grinder Podcast is nearly ready to roll.  Hopefully by tomorrow, I have my lame little mic for my laptop and it's go time.  I've spoken with some very cool friends and they're ready as well.  This is going to be so much fun.  
All guests are people that in my opinion, represent the title, Grinder.  I wrote that blog a few weeks and its obsessed me.  I even bought a bunch of black rubber wrist bands to help me remember to GRIND.  Since then, I've popped up for the gym more mornings than not and absolutely continue to fine tune my nutrition.  
Anyway, the guests will represent.  Topics will include training and fitness, motivation as always (just wait to Dave and Andy get together... I know full well, you'll want to have what they say in your ipod) entrepreneurs, sports, coaching, football, yoga and people that are representing the mindset and just awesome people with awesome stories and awesome things to share.  (I haven't contacted everyone yet but be ready - Rich, DieHard McClain, Jared, Nick, Coach, Murph, etc)
And to be honest, I don't even care if this is just my lame excuse for getting together and talking... if just 1 person listens and gets something out of this, excellent!  
We keep too much bottled and we need to let loose.  

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Just went through a lobby before sitting down, had some Coldplay on the Pod and thought while people watching, "What would it be like if we really focused for 24 hours to NOT doing anything douchy?"  Just everywhere you went people held doors, and said hello in elevators, and smiled just for the hell of it, and complimented what you're wearing and told more jokes and helped you more and drove with courtesy and didn't bitch... just for 24 hours.  
(No that was not a Coldplay inspired thought... I know what your dumb joke was ie "40 Year Old Virgin :)

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Can we stop saying "girl push ups?"  Are we saying "boy push ups," are hard and "girl push ups," are easy?  And if so, does that mean we add "girl," in front of something and that means the easier version?

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Finalizing my Real Estate License and prepping for the exam... very excited to get it going.  This is another avenue that has my name written all over it!   The more I learn, the more anxious I am to begin.  It's all about obtaining the information to help you make an excellent choice, customer service and making dreams happen... whats NOT to be excited about.  I keep saying "I'm afraid of letting you blow $10 on a bad workout or let you do something with poor form, how the heck do you think I'm going to behave when you have your family and $200,000 on the line?"  ZERO mistakes, absolute 100% service.  
I just need an 8th day of the week and another 6-8 hours per for some sleep :)

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Check out the new site, still BLUECHIPSTRENGTH.COM but also FUNCTIONALFITNESS440.COM.  Same site, two addresses.  I'm pretty proud of my supplements page and the recommendations page.  
The supplements page only has items that I personally use, AdvoCare and ONNIT.  Spark on AdvoCare and pretty much everything but the Hemp Force Protein on ONNIT.  I absolutely recommend the ShroomTech Sport and Alpha Brain on ONNIT.  Hands down, the best supplements I've ever used.
On the recommendations page, the Build Your Own Gym link is sweet.  Basically, I thought if you gave me a $150 or so and said "hook me up with a place to train at home," this is exactly what I'd buy and you'd probably love it.  Kettles, tubes, suspension training, mats and a stability ball.  
I also added a Book Recommendations page... couldn't help myself.  Check it out.  The top two books on there would make excellent holiday gifts, the Pressfield book is truly life changing as is the Baron Baptiste selection.  I'll be updating this page as often as I read a sweet book.  
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hhhmmm... this was my 100th blog.  I wonder if there could be a book down the road....

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see everyone in class or out and about.
take care of yourself and each other... time flies.

peace, love and empathy,
J

The F Word

"Growing up," I probably trained very similar to everyone else.  I started caring about training and working out around 1998-ish, I'm 36 so that was around 21 yrs old.  There wasn't Facebook or anything back then.... Wow, I just wrote two sentences to start this off and I've already dated myself.  Man, I;m feeling old.  Anyway, when I joined the local Ballys, I was using workouts that I tore out of Flex Magazine or something else along those lines.  No real focus other going through the to-do list and getting the work done.

Time went on and life changed, flash forward a few years...

I'm sitting in class at NPTI (Facebook Page)and Miles, Mariam, Pete and Rich are preaching "Functional training, functional movement, functional blah blah blah," and I'm kinda hearing it, kinda not... probably more not actually.
I would perform these functional exercises and I didn't feel strong and I would think "How is this going to develop a big chest or butt or anything?"  I really appreciated learning it all, but thought it wasn't for me.  It just felt easy and unfocused.

Flash forward again a few years...

I meet a guy, Jay Ashman, (twitter @ashmanstrength) at Titans that seems to train in a way i think I'd like.  My back and shoulders are a piece of crap but I'm thinking maybe I can start over again with a very grounded and strong base.  So I hired Jay to help me reset some things and even though it was just a short, 8 week run of online programming, I think it was probably the best money I've spent in quite a while.  Because in that situation and going through Jay's programs, I also started teaching a bastardized yoga class called Power Plus, where we'd use dumbbells in the middle of yoga class.  So with the training, the teaching, me getting my foundation back, training with kettle bells and suspension training, acupuncture helping things along, a new Primal/Paleo mindset and nutrition plan... something started clicking.

All of this is functional training and a  very functional, realistic idea.  All of those points above, added up to a state of mind that feels extremely comfortable.  Opening my eyes to what a Paleo diet is was probably the tipping point.  I've listened to some Podcasts that just made too much sense to ignore.

My training is now a jumbo pot of anything and everything, but very focused.  Back squats are an absolute must, as is all the major multi-joint movements, then we need to work in the stability ball work and hardcore core training, then we need to find a few sessions for kettles and suspension training, and don't forget yoga.  And honestly, all but the yoga can be programmed into two different sessions.  Again, aside from backsquats, big pushes and pulls, I don't try to crush any one particular muscle, I look to get after everything.

Example workout:
5:00 warm up of choice

Barbell Back Squats
1 set at 20 reps; 1 at 15; then 5-7 failing around 10; then 1 more of 15-20.
Form is HUGE.
My favorite move for many reasons... something feels awesome about the shoes, the belt and the hoody while grinding through this.  Pretty high up, probably 1 or 2 in terms of caloric expenditure list and recruits muscles from your arms all the way through your feet.

Circuit A
Hammy Curls 8-12
Seated Lat Pull (Neutral Grip) 20, 15, 12, 12,  
Calf Raise
4 Rounds
I love hammy curls and how they feel, plus with all the pushing and running and such, the hamstrings are forgotten about sometimes.  Lately, I've been tossing these in prior to back squats just to pre-exhaust things.
Neutral grip pull, because I like it :)  actually the typical lat pull hurts my neck pretty bad so I go for this one and this is also how I train pull-ups, again for the neck reason.

Circuit B aka Core & Conditioning
Stability Ball Crunch 50
Double Arm Kettle Bell Swing - 20
Push-Up - F
Crunch - 25
3 rounds

water and continue with Core and Conditioning
Stability Ball Knee Tucks 20
Single Arm - Kettle Bell Clean/Press 15 each
Long slow bicycle crunch 20
Squat Jumps w KB's in hand 20

Water
Finish w a very long plank, go for absolute failure.
I'll posting some "how to's" on the YouTube page very soon, subscribe now!

So if you're not yet involved in the Wednesday night class, you probably should be.
And check out the new site, still bluechipstrength.com but you can also find it via functionalfitness440.com.  Theres a page called BUILD YOUR OWN GYM! and from there, you'll find amazon links to some of the equipment I mentioned above.  I'm telling you, I highly recommend getting some of these things for your home gym.  People that have requested in home training, I tell them all "Get a kettle bell, get a stability ball, get some tubes and we'll get it going."  You really can get away with just that.

So have fun, take care and talk soon.
Peace, love and empathy,
J

Are You Willing?

I recently heard someone say “Americans can’t save money,” so I perked up in my seat to pay closer attention.  He then followed with “Most people can only save around $100/month because things are too hard….” No joke, no exaggeration, my legs and ass flinched and I nearly stood up and yelled “Bullshit!”

Alright… maybe I wouldn't have yelled bullshit but I definitely felt an urge in my legs to stand and disagree. 

Lets ignore the whole “Americans can’t save money,” and just change it to people for the sake of argument, because leaving the word “Americans,” in there is a completely different argument all together and I haven’t traveled worldwide nor studied the savings account of other countries citizens (as I’m sure he hasn't either).

But here’s what I've seen, and trust me, I've seen this in a few different situations… it’s not that people can’t save money, it’s that people don't know how to sacrifice.  People don't understand that to save money, you have to either work and do more or pull back spending elsewhere.  It’s really hard to save money if you’re out shopping 3 times per week buying things you don't need.  It’s really hard to save money when you have a loaded cable package and renting pay per views while using some high speed internet connection.  It’s hard to save money… period.  It’s not easy.  We’re tempted all around, from the time we wake up til we go to sleep and that temptation is the issue; we don't know how to say no.  We don't know how to sacrifice.  We don't know how to become comfortable with some discomfort.  We don't know how to go without. 

How much is your phone plan?  How vital is it that you have that particular phone to your actual income?    Sounds simple and maybe too simple, but there’s a great chance your phone is a comfort and not an asset.  (Just an example that I’m sure 99.9% of us can relate to.)

Let’s take it to a fitness level. 

How many people do you think have told me they can’t afford training or a class?  How many times do you think I hear that weekly?   People can’t afford to get into shape, which is actually an investment in themselves, the most important one they’ll ever make, but they can’t afford it?!?!  But I bet they can afford Starbucks.  I bet they can afford going to the bar.  I bet they over pay for their cell bill or cable bill or where they shop for groceries. 

Can people save money?  Absolutely

Can people get into shape?  Absolutely

Can people change their lives?  Absolutely

Can you improve anything in your life and live at a higher level?  Absolutely, 1000%, yes.

But are you willing to make the sacrifices needed to make that happen?

Are you willing to cut back a few expenses to save up or get out of debt?  Do you know that debt is modern day slavery?  Think about that.  The more you owe, the more you’re controlled and the less free you are. 

Are you willing to study when you want to go to sleep?

Are you willing to run or lift when you want to watch tv?

Can you say no to going to going out when you know nothing positive will happen and you need rest?

Can you say no to the drive thru?

Can you say no to skipping workouts?

Can you say no to skipping class?

Are you willing to stay in that plank just 30 seconds longer?

Start saying NO to things that hurt you and slow you down and make you  a weaker person and start YES to positivity and evolution and progress and hitting goals and making it all happen!  It can happen but you have to want it!  You have to really want it!  You can’t just wish for it, you have to work for it and sometimes work is saying NO to comfort, and saying NO to habits but that has to happen for a new space to be cleared for new YES’s.  And if you want your life to be field with a completely healthy life in every way, loaded with YES’s, you have to sacrifice and smash the habits that hold you back.

I recently heard someone say "Don't give yourself a reward you haven t earned," and that's so, so true.  We think because we've had a couple days on the diet and been strong that we can slip and have a "cheat," day.  Why?   I know people that think they deserve Pepsi as a reward for going to work everyday!  HUH?  A) How is Pepsi a reward and B) Why do you think you deserve an award for doing what you're supposed to do??  Stop rewarding yourself and patting yourself on the back for being a responsible person.
There's a time to be soft and a time to get it together and grind.  Sometimes we look for that soft, quit button a little too quick, that quit button is a little too easy to hit.
We left our blanky's at home a long, long time ago.  

If you want to have something great, it's not just going to fall into your lap as you watch television, you have to make it happen with action, determination, planning, perseverance, and dedication.

Are you willing to do whatever is necessary to turn all your dreams into a reality?  Whatever is necessary?   Anything and everything.  How bad do you want it?

Grind on

Be Useful

Before I start to type away and find out what flies out through my thumbs (blogger app on phone), I wanted to say (type) how pumped up I am for the podcast to launch.   I've been day dreaming about this for quite a while now and I've been a part of some really inspiring conversations and I listen to some super inspiring pods and this is just a great fit.  For those of you who has no clue what a podcast is, t's basically a radio show.  Pretty simple.  The beauty of it is that we can record these "shows," anywhere at anytime and put them out via the website and iTunes... To be honest, just seeing the name on iTunes is going to excite me.  

Sooooo many stories, so many things that go on that I'll enable to share and if just one conversation or topic, motivates or helps one person, it's all worth it.  That's the beauty of reaching and connecting.  Being able to connect and then having that energy passed along in some form to more people to manifest and take it to another level somehow, that's awesome.

We'll have on guests from all different types of genres, entrepreneurs, trainers, nutritionists, motivational topics, music, whatever.  And when you want to listen to one, you can right on your computer or download to you ipod for your jogs.   I havent listened to a radio station in moooonths and my ipod is 75% loaded w differet casts.  Think of this... Even Alex or Lindsay or carls class can be recorded, you can download it and do it again at a later date.  That's sweet!  The primal strength class wouldn't work that well.... You'd hear me say "5 sets of back squats," and then you'd just hear people mumbling "F you," under their breath :)

 During my session in my garage Sunday night, after every set of squats, I wrote down a thought.  #1 was/is "Be Useful," and that actually plays right into what I wrote above and also asks a question.

What exactly does it mean?

It means.... Anything, really.  It means to ask yourself the actual question, "what can I do to be more useful today?"

To who?

To everyone and everything around us and yourself.  

How can you be more useful at home?

How can you be more useful at work?

In the community?

With your friends

How can you be more useful with yourself??  That's a big one. What can you do in your day to day activities to improve the situation or yourself?  

Be useful.  

There's a term "he's a tool," or whatever and I don't see that as a negative in a certain light.   I'll be a tool for you if it's towards a useful cause that can improve something.  Isn't what I do already that?  Isn't the podcast a tool?  Aren't the training sessions tools?   Sure they are, they're something we use to better ourselves and that could mean physical or mental or spiritual or anything else.  A tool is something we need to help achieve a goal or mission and I'm cool w being a tool like that and I'd want the same thing in return.

Be useful.  

It's about being assertive.  

It's about recognizing you're needed and then taking the initiative to step up and turn the thought into meaningful action.   

It's about not being lazy and making good choices at any given moment and not just when the spotlights on.  

Be useful. 

How can you help?

Now go help.

(Rereading that blog... It'll be so much cooler, more intense as a podcast.)

Sometimes I hear "Jesus!  All I see are Blue Chip quotes and posters on my Facebook feed!"

Yep, it's called being useful.  Maybe they'd prefer I post about getting drunk or some drama or some model pics, hard to tell.  But I'm using Facebook as a tool to reach and connect, however I choose.

The Grind(er)

He said "It's highly unlikely, but for you it'll probably happen, you're a grinder."

The Grind

There's no map, there's no plan.

The Grinder

He doesn't give up, he's nonstop hustle.

The Grind
Is like humidity, you're in it, its all around you
And you're not escaping.
The Grind
Is like a current, moving The Grinder where needed.

The Grinder 

Doesn't want to leave anyway... he wants the heat.

Its all he wants.

The Grind

Is a magnifying glass unlike any other.  

You find out exactly who you are.  

In The Grind, you're exposed completely for better or worse.  

You can't hide and you cant close your eyes.  

The Grinder

Is a hunter.

Hunting for a passionate piece of life to sink his teeth into.

He's not concerned at all with dirt or mud,

He knows the glory is there.

He knows the glory is in The Grind.

He doesn't get off at the first exit for the easy road.

He's searching for something greater

 And the term "Good Enough," instantly exposes enemies.

The Grind

Is fire and extreme heat, so much so that the sweat is always in your eyes.

Your pulse beats with the rhythm of The Grind, 

You've become one with your atmosphere.

The Grind doesn't leave you and it never fades.

The Grind sees and records everything and 

Plays it back for you every time its needed.

The Grind is home.

The Grinder

Loves the pain for without it, 

There would be no appreciation for lack of.

The Grinder

Needs darkness present for its the light that directs him.

The Grinder

Only knows the Grind.

They ask "What should I do?" 

I answer with something along the lines of "Get busy."  

Its all I know.  When it hits the fan, get busy.  when you need a little more, get busy.  

When you need an escape, get busy.

It's Grind Time.

"What should I do?"  Better get your goal sheet in order and get busy.

People think the answers are in some escape plan or external and its not, its never been.  

Its right here (tap your chest).

Every bad situation I've been in, I got out of the exact same way.

Grind.  

Every time I've had my back up against the wall.

Grind.

When a goal is locked in and its my target.

Grind.  

Exhausted?

The Grind

Doesn't care, get busy.

  

"What should I do?"  Get those goals locked in and get focused on yourself. 

Never mind the distractions.  

In The Grind

Distractions are all around and attacking.  

In The Grind, they want to see you off course, challenged and flop.  

The Grinder

Wants the obstacles, he wants hurdles.

Because more than anything else, The Grinder

Loves to annihilate the hurdle and completely conquer

Any and all obstacles.

He smiles are setbacks.

He protects The Grind,

And The Grind will protect him.

And when you accept the life and stop retreating to your happy place, The Grind operates with you and for you.  When you accept The Grind, The Grind is your ally.  Its current, it's vibrations excel you in the direction you weren't meant to be.

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In no particular order, kids, you and The Grind and they're all intertwined and weaving all around at all times. 

"Why do you do what you do?"

The Kids.

My grind, my love, my passion is to do whatever I can, wherever I can, to help create a better environment for kids.   Any and all kids.  And I think there are many, many levels to this.  I think the environment is essential and not just how I treat kids when present, not just when with me.  If I can motivate a coach to be better, that's creating a better environment.  If I can motivate a parent or a teacher, that's creating a better environment.  So on a level, my goal is be the absolute best version of myself I can be and NOT hide my thoughts and actions away.  Creating a better environment for the kids is everything, absolutely everything.  

You.  

Its all about creating a better world and there are so, so, so many ways to do it.  I've just been lucky enough to have found this awesome avenue that's not a teacher, not a coworker, not a boss, not your parent or relative and through my own exploration, I'm able to spark conversations or a thought to just slightly adjust our course, just subtle enough that it doesn't create any explosions but also just enough where we can feel a slightly altered direction.  And in that direction, we can feel a new angle of sun and wind.  We have a new perspective and view on the same streets we've seen our whole lives, but now, they're new again and new everyday.  

The Grind.

I love it.  I get so burnt out but I cant stop.  I don't know if I want to stop.  My schedule... If I wrote it, you'd think I'm lying or bragging or asking for pity or something, I don't know.  It wears me down, but its OK.  I bounce back rather quickly and I have to... for myself.  Because The Grind of what I mentioned above "The Kids," and "You," its to important to me. 

FALL DEAL

Learning from Loss; Another Tool; No Days Off

Friday night was tough.

And after the game, I really didn't have any thoughts, I usually don't after losses.  I linger on the field... I stare into outer space... I just stand around waiting for something to settle.  A thought or feeling that can clarify what just happened. 

I heard a coach once say "I hate losing more than I love winning," and I absolutely relate to that.  

Wins never really effected, losses did.  Wins were expected, losses weren't.  When you prepare and you're confident, a loss never really enters your mind as a possibility, so when they happen, it feels surreal.  And unfortunately, I have never felt unprepared on a Friday night.  Ever.  I may have been w some teams that I knew were outgunned or maybe they had a little something we didn't, but I also felt prepared and I always, ALWAYS knew my teams had heart.  Always.  And when you're prepared and you have a an undying will to succeed, anything can happen.  Anything can happen.  Writers can post predictions, people can place bets, and those on the outside can feel how they like, but unless you're one of the 30-40-50 guys involved on what goes on under the lights and on the grass.... Anything can happen.

So I'm staring into outer space... Wondering what went wrong.

And two days later, I see... Nothing went wrong.  We just lost more opportunities than we won.  Sounds pretty simple, right? We just lost more opportunities than we won.  We lost more plays than we won.  We gave up more big chances than we made for ourselves.  Every time I say it or write it, looks so simple.

And it is, but it doesn't help when you're standing on the field as the volunteers are cleaning the sidewalks and they want to turn the lights off....

So where do we go?

What do we do after disappointment and loss?

We breathe... We take a brief pause, knock the dirt off our shoulder, and get ready to do it again, but this time smarter,  faster, harder, stronger, better.  

Today is Sunday and it's not an off day, we're preparing to meet another goal on our path of many other goals. 

Friday was a loss but not a failure.  Through loss and pain we build strength.  Through loss and pain we build endurance and our character develops a will power over time that cannot be broken.  

Practice just ended on Monday and it was by far the most competitive, intense, emotional practice we've had yet.  

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I posted today "You know the pressure I feel to not let you waste $10 on a bad workout?  Imagine how hard I'd work to not let you waste $200,000."
I wrote that while on break at Hondros... which is Real Estate school and by Christmas, I'll a licensed Real Estate Agent.

Someone asked "Why," and I have a few different answers but #1, definitely lays with my passion, which is customer service.  I truly LOVE being a part of a process that helps guide people through a situation.  When I worked in gyms, I knew most people were probably intimidated or didn't know what to do and had troubles getting comfortable.  I loved giving the tours and machine intros and helping them ease into the gym.  Same goes here, buying a home is a HUGE decision and people will feel unsure and intimidated and worried and I'll be excellent at covering those bases to help people ease their minds and help them make excellent decisions.  I have no doubts.

Selfishly, I have another reason.  My favorite clients have been wedding parties and pre/post pregnancy mothers.  Why?  Even though its a very small role, I love having that role in helping people feel awesome about their day.  One of my first clients was a girl named Julie, back in the Fitworks days.  Julie was engaged to be married about 7 months after we met and all she wanted was to look amazing in her dress.  So she came in one day with a pic of the dress and explained how it would fit and how she wanted certain body parts to look a certain way and so on.  7 months later... she looked gorgeous!   
So there are wedding parties, step 1.  Then babies is probably step 2 (at some point), and step 3?
Well, a personal trainer is kinda worthless when it comes to step 3 so I'll step out of the Nike shorts and learn to tie a tie :)  and you can bet a whooooole lotta money I'm going to bust my butt to make sure you're stepping through the doors of your dream home when the time comes.

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Sidenote:
As I'm sitting through day 2 of a 9 hour class... I started getting antsy and I thought "THANK GOD I DONT WORK IN A CUBICLE!"  Because eventually my leg started tapping and I started playing some drums with my highlighters and on break I wrote up my workout... which was still about 5 hours away!  Uh Oh.  I was feeling like a trapped gorilla!  So when I got home, I changed clothes and took off on a nice run, pulled out the kettles, loaded up the bench and let loose. 

ARRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH 

Check out the Primal Bells at www.onnit.com

CLASS SCHEDULE
Monday - Power Vinyasa w Lindsay, 6:15-7:15
Tuesday - SAME (subbing for Alex)
Wednesday - Primal Strength Training w Jason, 6:30-7:30
Thursday - Power Plus/BOGA w Jason, 6:30-7:30

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Last topic, inspires by this mornings post to Kristin.

I was listening to podcast while shaving last night.  Three guys, talking about anything and everything.  Somehow, they got on the topic of depression and people being disconnected.  The discussion went on and one guy said "it's a love issue... People are too busy or too cool or too scared to openly confess positive, loving emotions.  Anyone will tell you to F off, but few will say they love you, even if they do."

And it's so true for a lot of people and something that's definitely settled w me lately.  I've never been a hugger, but recently, they've been popping up!  No clue how, but the handshake just looks and feels lame, so I go for a hug!  So weird how it's come along but I'm not fighting it :) if you go for a shake, get ready for a big papa bear hug!

So cheer, sing, dance, celebrate, hug, love, high 5, embrace... Enjoy it all, full go.