I Say Hypocracy or #boycotteliteseating

First off, I have to give a couple of disclaimers here, as follows, in no particular order.

I love being a Beachbody Coach and by extension the Beachbody company. I've met the greatest people, made incredible lifelong (I hope!) friendships, and throughout have helped a lot of people reach some incredible goals and have grown personally as well. The company itself is simply focused on helping people reach their health and fitness goals so they may lead healthy, fulfilling lives. They've done it without compromise which shows in the incredible quality of their products. Of course, there's stuff I don't agree with but that's true with any company. (And that's the subject of another blog!)

I respect and admire the leaders in the company. I've met most of them and they are probably the most genuine and...well, nice people you'd ever want to meet. Even if you're not part of their team, organization, or downline coaches, everyone I've run into is happy to answer questions, give advice and tips, and just plain want to help. I'm sure there are exceptions to the rule but I haven't experienced it!

Now the meat and potatoes.

Invariably, at the annual coach Summits or at big meetings throughout the year, awards are given, people are recognized, accolades are showered. And please believe me, I am in no way begrudging anyone's success. They worked hard to get where they are. But, what kills me, they get up and say, "I would never get here without my team" or "My team worked so hard" etc. etc. Meanwhile the team is cheering away for them while they pass the box of tissues around to wipe their noses cause they're sitting in the nose-bleed section while you walk down 5 steps and sit in the roped off floor seats. Again, you worked hard to get there but when you say it wouldn't be possible without your team...

If your team is good enough to get you there, aren't they good enough to sit with?

It shouldn't bother me, but it just angers me to no end! I know you have meetings with them, you'll take a few to dinner, I know you know each and everyone of them, their names, what they do, what they want. You'll hang out with them and then go sit in the "I'm a Star" section, separate but not equal.

Again, I know you worked hard but when you say you couldn't do it without them, then go sit without them...well...I call shenanigans. If you're getting an award, or being called on stage or what have you, sit with your team, then go down a few minutes before you have to go up there, get your whatever, then sit with your people. I challenge you to do so.

For my part, I state now and for the record, whatever rank I achieve, whatever award I may receive, that I will not sit in elite seating for any longer than it takes me to accept it. If they're good enough, worked so hard to get me there, then those are the people I want to be with. Nose-bleed section? I'll supply the tissues.

Oh...and #boycotteliteseating

What I Believe I Do.

I'm a Beachbody Coach.

That just means I'm an online fitness coach for Team Beachbody. We're the people who create and distribute home-based workout programs like P90X, Insanity, Focus T25, P90X3, 21 Day Fix, and a host of others. Unless you've abstained from television for the last 5 or 6 years, you've seen the infomercials at all hours of the day and night.

So, yes, I sell fitness programs. We also have supplements, equipment, workout apparel and Shakeology, what I think is the best health shake of it's kind on the market today. (It's a dense daily dose of superfood nutrition, you know!)

But that's the surface of things. I was thinking about this a few days ago and then the other day read this quote by John Maxwell in his book "Everyone Communicates, Few Connect" - When you make a commitment, you create hope. When you keep a commitment, you create trust. That's a great quote. It's something to live by. But then I realized something -

I don't sell fitness products. I sell hope.

People come to me and want to get into shape. They want to get healthy. They want to feel better, have their clothes fit better, be more comfortable in their skin. I tell them they can. Not because I want them to buy some workout or drink, but because I know it. I believe it. I did it and, really, I'm nothing extraordinary (I am adorable, however) and I know that if I did it so can they.

It will take work on their part. I know they can do it. It will take sweat, a little confusion, a lot of swearing at the trainers on the tv but I know they can do it. I believe it.

I believe in them before they believe in themselves. I have hope. I have enough hope so that they'll begin to hope to. "That this time it will work." "This time I'll stick with it." "My coach believes I can do it." "He has hope...now I do to." "I trust him."

That's what I do. I sell hope.

And I just realized I'm completely wrong. I don't sell hope.

I give it away. And I think that makes me a pretty rich fella.

10 Misconceptions About Death-Rays

 

If you’re an aspiring super-villain or already have a bit of experience under your nefarious utility belt, you’ve probably already completed several advanced degrees in the disciplines of physics, engineering, medicine, philosophy, as well as some training in the mystic arts and realms. You have also already found space for your criminal lair and are stockpiling equipment, computers, research, and all manner of weaponry. 

 

One of the staples in the super-villain repertoire is, of course, the Death-Ray. And as many types and sizes they come in there is also a lot of misinformation concerning this standard piece of equipment. What follows is a brief, and I hope helpful voyage into the one weapon no evil-doer can be without. So without further ado, please note 10 misconceptions about death-rays. 

 

1.       “The Death-Ray must cause death.” False! The Death-Ray can and should be used to cause all manner of discomfort! From the comical maddening itch beam all the way to the projectile vomiting and explosive diarrhea ray, make each weapon your own! And don’t forget the unrelenting orgasm ray – you are a super-villain, after all!

2.       “The Death-Ray should be a certain size.” The death ray can be as large or small as you desire. A garage door opener sized handheld device, a traditional ray gun, or even a massive device that takes up the roof of a skyscraper! It’s your death-ray!

3.       “The Death-Ray should only be used against the hero.” Negative! The neighbor who lets his dog poop in your yard is a prime candidate for the death-ray! Rude people, government offices (the DMV comes to mind), and simply anyone who rubs you the wrong way are all targets for your wrath.

4.       “You must have a working Death-Ray to hold the city hostage.” No. You can always assert you have a working instrument that can kill thousands but only have an untested prototype. You’re a super-villain. Lie.

5.       “You need millions of dollars to build your death ray but you need a death ray to get millions of dollars.” As a super-villain you must develop and, more importantly, use out of the box thinking! Rob a bank or two, poison the city’s water supply, build a tiny death ray and kill a few dozen people, kidnapping, ransom, blackmail, etc. are not beneath you. Please note the super in super-villain. I mean, we’re talking about death-rays here…we’ve already established you’re not a nice guy.

6.       “The Death-Ray should be powered by fissionable material.” Untrue! Your death ray can be powered by whatever material you decide! Nuclear, electric, hydrogen, hydro – it’s up to you! And it doesn’t even have to be stable! Imagine the fun when the hero defeats you and the death ray blows up anyway! Good times!

7.       “It takes too long to construct a Death-Ray.” One word – Henchmen. They’re easy to hire, cheap, not the brightest bulbs (let’s face it – if they were criminal geniuses they’d be higher on the villain food chain) and, as an added bonus, they die – frequently. I mean, they’re even more death-prone than red shirted security men on Star Trek!

8.       “The super-villain must be there to activate the Death-Ray.” Perhaps in the past but in this digital age one can set off a very satisfying beam of death from thousands of miles away. Timers, remote control, and good old fashioned mental telepathy are all viable methods. And remember your henchmen! They’re happy to press the button you’ve plainly marked ‘lights’ on the Death-Ray panel thereby activating the ray and destroying the eastern seaboard.

9.       “My girlfriend, wife, other-dimensional lover will hate me if I use the Death-Ray to kill millions.” Possibly. But, chances are she knows you’re a super-villain already so I think one can be certain she likes the bad boys. Using the death ray may just make her frisky! I would, however, incorporate more leather into your super-villain costume and even the death ray itself. Chicks did leather. And scars. Get a scar.

10.   “I’ll get captured if I use the Death-Ray.” Well…it is a death ray and you’ve just killed hundreds of thousands or even millions. They will be looking for you, they won’t stop, and chances are they will capture you. Don’t worry. I suspect you’ll be a legend before you get to prison. Also, you’ve built a death ray! The first one is always the hardest – I suspect now you’ll be able to build one using a paperclip, the cardboard in the middle of a roll toilet paper, and a rubber band. And a little plutonium. But you’re a super-villain in prison. Plutonium is a dime a dozen there. And don’t forget – prison is full of henchmen!

 

I hope this short essay has allayed your fears and answered some questions about your death-ray. I look forward to reading about the mischief you’ve created soon.

 

Happy Death-Raying!

 

Goals: If It's Write, I Guess I'm Wrong!

I'm an advocate of personal development books, or tapes, or mp3's, or videos. I've gleaned a bit of insight into myself and others and have had several "ah ha" moments. The thing about all that stuff is that its pretty much variations on a theme. If you've read Napoleon Hill, Jim Rohn, John Maxwell, Brian Tracy, Tony Robbins...well, it's worthwhile, insightful, and each puts their own spin on things.

One thing, however, that's pretty much the same, is how they approach goals. Basically, to achieve a goal, you've got to write it down, every day in some cases, read it every day, write the steps you'll take to get there, make it personal and timely; for example, "I am a senior vice president on Dec.31, 2014" or "I own a Corvette Stingray on Jan 1, 2015" or "I earn $50,000 a month by Aug 31, 2014." You get the idea.

And I did that. For a long time. And I know I'm going to catch a bit of flack for this but - I have never achieved a goal that I've written down. There. I said it (or typed it).

You see, in my case, it seems that as soon as I write it down, there's a great big subconscious "Yeah...right!" that comes calling. No matter how much I want the thing, writing down that goal is pretty much a sure sign I won't achieve it. And I've tried. Everyone says this is the way to do things. In fact, just last week in a meeting it was said that if you don't write down a goal its just a wish that will never happen. I let that stuff go. Dream boards, written goals, etc...well, I always wondered when does it go from being a goal to a constant reminder of continual failure.

I thought there must be something wrong with me.

Then I read "Start" by Jon Acuff and he wrote a whole section about this. How goal setting in that manner worked for the author, and you have to do it this way, so you give it a try. How everything about the previous thirty of forty or fifty years you've spent on Earth indicates you won't do well with this approach but they say do it this way, this is the only way. And you try for a week or a month or a year and it doesn't take and you (I) assume you're lousy at goal setting and quit. He says its like you're a bird reading a book about how to be a fish.

And that's me. Right there. So I thought about the things I did achieve and how I did that. When I set out to buy a sports car I knew there were things I had to do so I was mentally focused on it...every day. Didn't write a thing down but I knew I had to save this much money, I had to make sure I worked these hours. And I did. When I started my weight loss and fitness journey I never wrote that goal down but I was focused on doing the work every day, eating better, getting it done and lost 50 pounds.

So, for some of us, writing these things down is the worst possible thing to do. Some of us know where we want to go and get there without having a scrap of paper or a dream board. Some of us just have a daily mantra of "Do. Go. Do. Go." It may not conform with the goal-setting mainstream but it beats feeling like a failure.

So. There it is. Now here I go and do.

Maybe Your Why is Big Enough

Invariably, when you read personal development books or listen to self help tapes (or Mp3s! You young people and your kryptonite-like technology...) the author will get to a part about finding your Why. Why you want to change your life. What's the big reason? Is it life changing? Is it so big you'll lay awake at night consumed by it?

They make you think that it has to be in neon flashing lights, in an insanely garish font about the size of a building, right there guiding you like a lighthouse! This is my WHY!!!

But recently I've had an epiphany of sorts. Maybe your why doesn't have to be all that huge. Maybe your why can be this small tiny little thing that's always in the back of your head. An itch you have to touch. Its not life changing, at least at the moment. Maybe your why just has to be a start. Maybe it can be something like why.

I'm going to let you in on a secret. That tiny why was me. That little thing was why I started on my fitness journey. It's what has led me to lose over 50 pounds and, as of this writing go from a 44" waist to a 35" waist. It's what's let me to be passionate about inspiring and helping others believe that "they can." And it was a tiny, even ridiculous, why. And I can remember it like it was yesterday, even though it's been over 6 years now. Ready?

I got sick and tired of having to pull my man-boob out of the way to look at the iPod on my belt.

That's it. That was the entire reason I started my fitness journey.

Man-boob. iPod. Belt.

That's all.

So my thinking is this. If you have a grand idea, a huge why, that's fantastic. Change your life. Reverse the young deaths of males in your family. Beat diabetes. Don't be obese any longer. Healthy cholesterol. Cure your depression. Be there to walk your daughter down the aisle. Incredible. You can do it. I believe that.

But maybe all you need to start is a tiny little why. Walk up the stairs without huffing and puffing. Fit into those pants. Go on that roller coaster ride.

Just something small. Something small that changes your life. That will change the life of others. That serves to eventually give you a new direction. A little, tiny, insignificant why that leads to massive change.

What was it for me? Funny you should ask.

Man-boob. iPod. Belt.

The "I Can't" Crowd

I’m finding, as I find my own fitness, and as I get older, I have very little patience with the “I can’t” and ‘woe is me” school of thought. I suppose it’s because I think everyone should have the same attitude I had when I had my health issues – “This is terrible, I’m a freak, what’s going to happen to me, why me, this is awful, why me, why me, why me?” I had my pity party…then I got over myself, realized this is the hand I was dealt, let’s go. But not everyone does that, and that’s their bag. But it is aggravating.

Case in point: on one of the groups I belong to for people who had or are going to have the surgeries I had, there was a post from someone basically complaining that they had gained around 50 pounds since their operation and nothing they tried could get the weight to come off. They described how they ate like a bird and couldn’t lose weight. They talked about how they only really ate a handful of fruit and maybe some nuts, hardly anything at all and couldn’t understand why they were still, well…fat.

Right away I say they’re not eating enough. Sometimes you have to eat more to weigh less, you know. But I was at work and couldn’t answer right away. Others stepped up and explained a few things and made suggestions. Apparently, several people are having success with the paleo diet and here is where things went south for me.

The person answers, “Oh I’ve looked into that and have a bunch of cookbooks for it but it’s too expensive and too much of a lifestyle change.”

And that simple statement told me everything I needed to know. No matter what advice or ideas I could give, it’s not their time to change yet. They haven’t reached that point…what Anthony Robbins says is the “No More, Not Another Day, Not Another Second” point where they’ll be ready and do what’s necessary to change.

And…there’s nothing I can do about that. Will I abandon or stop trying to advise and help? Of course not. Will I continue to be an inspiration to people? Of course. (Although, truth be told, I am still uncomfortable with that. To me, as I’ve stated, it’s just the hand I was dealt. But if I can be, I will be.) It’s a hard thing for us fitness people to understand that sometimes the only thing we can do is wait.

I’ve got the answer to a lot of stuff but until and unless someone is ready to hear it…I can’t do anything about that. They’ll continue to “I Can’t” their way through until they either hit that point or realize the “I Can” side of the street looks a lot better.

And that’s up to them.

I Remember Why Insanity is called Insanity

I decided to do the Insanity workout again about a month ago, just before the 2014 Beachbody Coach Summit, so I could build up my stamina and endurance to keep up with those young whipper-snappers in the group workouts. It worked! I'm 54, felt 24, unfortunately I feel so good I think I still look 24, which explains the odd looks from the hot, young, fit, Beachbody ladies. (I'm sure they were wondering why is this guy as old as my dad talking to me like that!?!)

When I returned I decided to just keep on trucking and finish a round of Insanity. It's only 4 more weeks after all. Yes...4 more weeks of the MAX workouts. Each about an hour long. Each a sweatfest. Each trying to kill me.

I'm only a couple of days in and have burned a total of over 1900 calories. It's amazing to me that one can burn that many calories simply by being on their knees in their garage workout space, in a pool of their own sweat, repeating over and over, "I can't breathe!" Did I mention I'm 54?

Well...I'm in it now. I often say there's no quit in me. I realize that, while I may never be able to finish one of the workouts in its totality with out pausing it, watching the DVD with a "you want me to do what now who?" expression on my face, and stopping to get more water, at the end of this month I'll probably be in much better shape than I was at the beginning. And that consistency will pay off.

But I swear when I see Shaun T in person, I'm gonna smack him in the head!

Immediacy vs. Reality

We are, or have become, a culture that expects everything right now. Immediate gratification seems to be the watch word of the day.

If you order at the drive thru, you expect it now.
If you play a game, you expect to be great now.
If you work out for one day, you expect to see abs now.

No time for preparation. No time for practice. No time for diet and exercise.

Ain't nobody got time for that!

But, the only way to get where you want to go, to reach your goals, is to try...and fail...and fail again...then take a step forward...and fail...and then, once you've done that a few times, and learned a little bit of why that happened..success, after success, after success.

The fit bodies you admire or say, "I'm going to look like this," didn't happen overnight. (Although, there are some people who it seems just look at a weight and grow!) Everyone started right where you are right now. They may have been fatter, or thinner, I doubt they were smarter. They just kept going and knew that they weren't going to get it now.

Hockey great Wayne Gretzky, when asked how he was able to set or break nearly every record in professional hockey answered simply, "I went to practice."

It takes time. But always remember - Goals combined with Discipline AND Consistency lead to Achievement.

And that's reality.