Steps to Success: Step 1 - Knowing Where You Are

Today, we're going to talk about success; particularly, how to get there, step by step. The first step, as in everything, is to start at the beginning. This means, knowing where you are. One of my favorite resources, that has helped me in this area, is the book Start Where You Are by Chris Gardner (the author of The Pursuit of Happyness, also a book I highly recommend).

In fitness and massage, we use assessments. A fitness assessment could be as simple as a starting weight and measurements, or as complex as a full medical evaluation. What's important is that it gives you a baseline, that will allow you to accurately set realistic, attainable goals, and track your progress. It is from this point that be can begin to formulate a well-rounded plan for success, including strength training, cardio, nutrition, and rest/recovery.

In life, sometimes it's not as easy ,though. We have to be able to look in the mirror and acknowledge where we truly are, the good and the bad. Things that have happened in the past have brought us to where we are today. We need to recognize those things, but not become slaves to them. They ARE, after all, in the past. Right here and right now, embrace who you are, where you are, what you're doing, and how you got to this point. It is only in doing that, that we can take the next step, and begin to make a plan for our success.

Below, I've linked the two books that I recommended earlier. I challenge you to read them, and discover more about who you are than you ever thought you could know. You'll discover dreams, hopes, strengths, desires, and passions that you never knew you had. It's a very empowering feeling. Enjoy!

A Leap of Faith - New Beginnings

Welcome to my blog! I've got tons of stuff to share with you about the health and fitness world: tips, workouts, products, diets, supplements, reviews, opinions, and motivation. Together, with your help, I hope to affect positive, healthy changes in the world. Without further ramblings, let's get started!

Standing on the edge, looking down, what's going to happen next. Should I jump? Could be fun. I'm scared though. 50 feet below me is a former rock quarry that has been filled with water, supposedly up to 50 feet deep (www.theoffsets.com). Fear of heights runs in my family (not so much the heights themselves, more the falling and dying thing). This fear of the unknown is what we call an obstacle. Will I survive? Will I succeed? Will I flop and be in serious pain or get seriously hurt? Will I embarrass myself in front of friends, some who look up to me, some who I would really like to impress? I could give up and just jump off a lesser cliff, or just hang out in the water and watch with everyone else. I could say that I'm not feeling well. I could think of any multitude of excuses to not do this. I mean, I'm fine, right now, right? I've made it this far in life without jumping off of a 50+ foot cliff, and things are pretty good, definitely not awful by any stretch. I don't NEED to do this. What would I be missing? Well, I guess I could be missing out on a new experience. The chances are next to nothing that something bad will happen. I mean, tons of other people have already done this, and they're fine. Maybe I can conquer part of my fear. If I flop, I'll recover, and I think I'm coordinated enough to not have to worry about that, in the first place. My pride may be a little hurt for a while if I miss, but I at least I will have gone for it. There's no shame in trying to better myself. In fact, most everyone here, in my situation, is probably having the same inner dialogue I am, right now. Maybe I can realize that there is unexplored potential inside of me. If I can do this, what more can I do?...

Decision time. Jump or run? Two steps back, away from the edge... GO! From within, something tells me yes. Something tells me to jump. The infinitesimally small chance that the worst case scenario could play out was outweighed by the much greater possibility that I could do something, experience something, and learn something great! As I'm floating (falling) through the air, I feel more free than I have felt in a very long time. Plunging feet first into the water feels like victory, and as I swim to the top, I know that I won't ever be afraid of this again.

So, I conquered that fear. It was freeing. It was enlightening. It was invigorating, exciting, powerful, and amazing. 15 minutes after that jump, I was doing backflips and dives off of the 35-foot cliffs. It was an incredible day; an incredible experience. One that I would have missed out on, had I not decided to take that leap of faith.

So many of us miss out on opportunities to better ourselves, because of fear. Fear of failure, fear of humiliation, fear of not being good enough for others or even ourselves. We could just as easily stick to the status quo, do the same things over and over again, and never push our limits. After my experiences, I would call this decision a mistake. Albert Einstein would call it crazy. Einstein's definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. We're never going to grow, if we don't push those boundaries, and, at some point, take a leap of faith. It is one of the most rewarding things that we can do for ourselves.

One of the most common obstacles that most of my clients face is fear that they just can't do it. They can't lose that weight. They can't run that fast or jump that high. It's easier to just act like they don't care. As long as they are in this place they will never reach their goals. But, once they set fear aside, even temporarily, they take off that anchor that is holding them down and they can finally begin to truly realize their potential. Once those chains have been broken they begin to fly, reaching their goals, and exceeding them. Sometimes it takes a little push. Sometimes it takes a lot of pushing... But the end result is the same. Once you give yourself permission to let yourself be the best that you possibly can be, you will succeed. You WILL succeed.

One of my favorite quotes of all time, by Marianne Williamson:
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?... Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do... It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

So whether it's cliff diving, exercising, reading a new book, trying a new food, introducing yourself to that person you always see at the bar, learning to cook, or whatever else you can think of, please take the time to remember that we can only truly learn to fly, once we've been brave enough to jump from the nest, and take a LEAP OF FAITH!

Please comment and let me know what you think and what kinds of topics you would like for me to cover. I can't wait to continue to share with all who discover this blog. Tweet it, Facebook it, Email it, Share it! Let's spread the word!