Paralysis through Analysis?

 You ever thought to yourself.. I want to……. Fill in the blank.  

I have.  And I have often.  And then Analysis sets in.  I start doubting my idea, thinking about all the ways it won’t work, thinking about what people will say, analyzing numbers, and then the procrastination and the paralysis by analysis hits.   

It’s real.  It’s something i think we all go through.  We come upo with an idea and instead of doing the one thing we should do.. which is… TAKE ACTION, we sit back and we analyze it to the point of inactivity.  You are not alone in this affliction.  I am one of the biggest offenders of this too!  ADHD makes it real fun to work through this beast! 

So paralysis through analysis works in several different ways against our dreams, our goals and our visions.  We all carry demons in us, demons that we can decide to listen to nor not.  We have to quiet them down to allow the alaysis to let us move forward. 

Now not all analysis is bad of course.  There is a period of time where analysis is beneficial.  For instance, working the numbers, drawing the plans, creating the vision.  What I am referring to here is the voices we get in our head that stop us from going with our gut, going after what our vision is and telling us that we can’t do it because it’s going to be hard.  Paralysis through Analysis is designed to keep us in our comfort zone.  It’s designed to ensure we are staying where we are currently so we don’t make any moves that will create discomfort.  

I’m here to tell you it’s ok to get paralyzed for a little while, but what is really paralyzing us is not necessarily analysis, but potentially fear.  Fear, as I’ve said before, false expectations appearing real, can prevent us from doing so much of what we want to or even need to do.  Fear of what people will think.  Fear of success, fear of failure, dewar of rejection, fear of whatever it is that we fear.  It’s ok to be afraid,  In fact, some of the biggest decisions you make in your life may create a great deal of fear and that’s NOT a bad thing.  It does of course create caution at points but remember courage is not the absence of fear but acting in spite of it.  

So be courageous,  allow yourself a moment to be paralyzed by analysis, but don’t let that analysis stop you from taking action.  Don’t listen to the voices you hear in your head.  You are better than those voices.  And if you don’t like what they are saying, work on how they are talking to you.  Remember we are going to be our own worst critics in most cases.  It’s now just a matter of taking action when your voices tell you differently. 

This was a short post I am aware but I have 10 million voices in my head right now.. analyzing and I decided I didn’t give a fuck so I just went with it. 

Today, I didn’t want to, But did it anyway.

 One of the biggest discussions I have had with successful people and those that continue to stay disciplined, no matter what their profession, specialty or passion is, is what they do when they don’t feel like doing whatever it is they need to do or know they should do. The most common response and even in my own life is that they do whatever it is whether they want to do it or not. 

Success, in no matter what areas you want to succeed in life many times will involve doing things you don’t feel like or don’t want to do.  I’ll use myself as an example.  Today, I am at work, at the fire station, day 4 of 5 at work, working 120 hours before I go home in total.  Today, we had hose testing and training at the station and a ride-along (granted it was my son, but an extra person nonetheless).  It was a busy day.  I didn’t feel like working out, walking for an hour, lifting and moving my body.  So after lunch, I completed my reports and went to the treadmill and walked for an hour, and I didn’t want to.  I stepped on the treadmill, and took one step after another and soon, an hour had past.  I had walked the three miles I  try to get in every day and had watched a show while doing so.  Instead of settling down and resting for a bit, I walked.  Then, after further training, and running calls, when I was tired mentally, and physically from being day 4 at the station, i sat down for a second.  I forced myself to get up, head into the station gym and started lifting weights,  Low and behold, I went harder than just going through the motions and got a great lifting session in.  

My why- it guides me.  Even on days I don’t want to do it, I do it.  Even if it means just going through the motions, I do it.  Even if I am tired, exhausted, overwhelmed, under rested, I do it.  I may not go as hard, I may not go as fast, I may not go as long, but I do it.  I do it because I want to be healthy for my family.  I do it because I have a 3 year old grandkid that requires me to run around for her spurts of excitement. Lil do it because I want to be around for my family for a long time.  I do it because the why is bigger than me.  

One of the things I have learned is to allow myself some grace.  I used to be intense about everything, and now I am intentional.  Successful people are intentional in their actions, but they take action.  It doesn’t matter how large or how small as long as you are taking action towards your dream, goal, desires.  No matter what they are.  Watch the patterns of successful people.  Watch how they work when they are tired, when they are energetic, when they are stressed, overwhelmed, underappreciated.  They are crazy enough to believe in their dream, passion, desire, their PURPOSE that they continually work towards it, even when they don’t want to. 

YOU have the power within you to make what you want become a reality.  It simply takes action, many times even when you don’t want to do it.  

• Don’t want to get out of the warm bed, do it anyway.
•  Don’t want to workout today, do it anyway

• Don’t want to read that book today?  Do it anyway. 

•  Don’t want to study today? Do it anyway.
• Don’t want to make that phone call?  Do it anyway 
• Don’t want to deal with the challenges?  Do it anyway. 

Whatever it is in your life that will progress you towards the life you envision, Do it whether you want to do it or not.  You’ll thank yourself later.  

     

A re-introduction to DFG Wellness

Welcome back to DFG Wellness, a site designed to inspire and motivate you to be better in YOUR life.  It comes in many forms and tonight, I want to re-introduce you to DFG (Destined for greatness) Wellness and where this ship is headed.

When I first started this blog, I had a ton going on.   At one point I was programming for 15 gyms, owned 4 and was involved in the fire department much like I am today.  Life over the last 5 years since my last post has changed drastically and this blog will help to share my story of small successes each and every day so that you too might find the successes in your life.  At points, there will be video interviews with successful people in their eyes as well as written stories about people who succeed each day.

You see, success is a moving target.  It is never the same for any two people.  And the challenge with success is that what you consider to be successful today may change tomorrow as you experience life and take a new direction tomorrow.  In this respect, i want you to think of being successful in life as a moving target, a journey and not necessarily a destination.  It will change as you grow, as you gain more faith in who you are becoming, and experiencing your failures as much as your successes. 

What I hope to do is not only share my story of successes with you, but also to share my stories of failure with you.  Because really, success is built upon failure.  and the opposite of success is NOT failing, because if you don't fail, you can never succeed.  The opposite of success is quitting, or in many cases not even starting, or even looking at the path that may be the most successful. 

What does all of this have to do with tonight's post?  well, I want to set forth a philosophy moving forward for this blog.  In my next post, i will share how it felt to sell my portion of the gym as well as why i did so.  I want to share what I think of success in my next post, and how that ties in with everything in life. 

Stay tuned, for there is a lot to come on this blog.. from DIY projects (Successes and failures) to greater philosophical discussions of what it means to be successful and how to become successful and consistently successful .

I look forward to sharing my thoughts with you.

Coach K

YOU are a CHAMPION!

"Champions keep going when there is nothing left in their tank"- Eric Thomas.

How true is this?  What is the heart of a champion made of? 

The heart of a champion is made of integrity, passion, desire.  There is something that burns inside of a champion.  A champion looks around and even though he or she may see the obstacles ahead of them, they are aware that they will be able to overcome each and every obstacle.  They are not absent of fear, but act in spite of it. 

A Champion knows that there will probably be pain.  A champion knows that the pain is temporary, but pride is forever and quitting is never an option.   A Champion knows that what's inside of them is more powerful than anything they will come up against.  A Champion knows that when the shit gets going they will stand up, rise against the odds and become greater than they were before. 

A Champion looks to those who are there to support him. A Champion reaches out and helps others.  A Champion inspires others through their actions, their desires, their beliefs, their dreams.  A Champion often has great odds to battle, but even though the odds are stacked against them, will fight for every moment.  A Champion sacrifices what they are for what they want to become.  It is not in THIS moment that we will become a Champion, but THROUGH the hours put into becoming a champion. 

A Champion doesn't think about the consequences of achieving their goal.  A Champion doesn't blame anyone else for their hardship.s  A Champion stops looking outside of himself or herself and determines that what is inside of them is how they became who they are. 

A Champion creates what they desire and doesn't sit back and wait for life to give them opportunities.  A Champion has a mind stronger than their body will admit.  A Champion knows that the sacrifice they make today for their dream, desire and goal will be worth it in the end.  A Champion remembers that they are powerful beyond measure. 

Champions are NOT immune from fear, discouragement, frustration, fatigue, challenge, obstacles.  Champions are able to use these things to strengthen their fortitude to move forward to get to where they want to be.  Champions understand that the more they are frustrated, fatigued, challenged, and even maybe lonely, the closer they are to achieving the greatness they are destined for. 

What happens when things happen that a champion doesn't anticipate.  There may be hurt, pain, anger.  this is where a champion turns that into useful energy to push forward.  This is the difference between the average person and a champion is that instead of sitting in the pain, hurt, anger,  the champion will not stay down for long if at all.  A Champion may land on their back, but they will be able to get back up and fight again when they are weakened and tired.  

This is the time you will become a champion.  This is the time that YOU will do what it takes to earn your desires. This is the time where hard work will pay off.  This is the time where you will not make excuses.  This is the time where you will stop being afraid of the pain it may take to get where you want.  This is the time where you will make sacrifice to get what you want in life.  This is the time where life will become YOUR playground. 

BECOME A CHAMPION.  NEVER GIVE UP, NEVER FUCKING GIVE UP.  NEVER EVER FUCKING GIVE UP.  

YOU ARE A CHAMPION!

Don't be a prisoner of your mind

Humans-  an interesting species.  A species driven by their mind.  Higher cognitive function.  A blessing, and a curse.  A dichotomy in which we exist.  The ability for free thought and communication.  This is a power that comes with both great responsibility and caution. One that can become our best attribute or on the same stroke can be the most destructive sequence we will ever have. 

Our minds are an incredible thing.  With our access and our ability to think, we have created so many options, successes, pathways to get out of our challenges, but in the fact we have created this, we are absolutely capable of creating obstacles, challenges and ways to set ourselves up for disaster.  Our mind is the most powerful tool on the planet.  

You see, we use only a small percentage of our brain actively, even subconsciously.  We have yet to understand the mechanics of how things work, but we understand this to be true.  What we tell ourselves becomes our reality.  

You see,  that's the trick,  "The Secret" if you will.  That we become our thoughts.

Yes,  I quoted the famous movie and book, but not only that, I have also quoted so many successful individuals in that statement.  Simply put, we become what we think.  This is paramount in understanding change in our world. 

We often become imprisoned by our thoughts.  We live our life day to day, form crisis to crisis and that begets crisis.  we live paycheck to paycheck and never understand why when we think there are too many bills that another one pops up.  Many of us ponder or even stop to think about what it would be like if we weren't living that way.  and we wonder why it continues to pile up. 

We become imprisoned by what people think, how they perceive us, what we think we can NOT achieve, rather than focussing on what he CAN achieve and not worrying about the results of other people's thoughts.  Successful people have figured out that it matters not what others think, but what they, themselves, think.  Their thoughts become actions.  And in that right actions become their life. 

So how does this apply?  To you, to you who may not be able to see it now.  To those of you out there that are stuck in the cycle, the rat race, the treadmill we know as our life? 

Here are 10 things I have learned over time with my situations, my experiences and my time as a coach. 

1- SET GOALS.  they should be HUGE goals,  I mean FUCKING HUGE!!!!!  They should be so massive they scare you.  If they don't, then go back, re-evaluate, change them and make them YOURS.  OWN your goals. make them a part of your essence, your being, your existence.  They will become so engrained in your mind that they will just happen

2- WHO CARES what others think.  People are inherently critical.  We are taught to say no at a young age.  This means we are taught at the most basic level that we are NOT supposed to do things.  What if we said YES from the outset?  Aren't we supposed to learn lessons along the way? Others will ALWAYS have something to say about your life, what you choose and what direction you are headed.  FUCK THEM- it's YOUR life.  You know what you are after.  When they drive you into a state where you are in a corner cowering,  take a STAND, and fight back for your thoughts.  Don'r WORRY what happens to them.  They run THEIR life,  you run YOURS.  You are the only person with your thoughts.  Everyone else will assume and make judgements.  who cares. 

3- TAKE ACTION-  There are so many signs pointing in the direction of where we should be going.  Alot of times, we ignore the signs, the BIG ASS signs that are right in front of us.  How many times have we heard of people trying to find love when it was right in front of them?  Or how about when you have a decision to make that's not easy, and once you make it, it seems everyone comes out of the woodworks and says "we were hoping you would make that decision". 

one of our biggest challenges to taking action on things we KNOW we see right in front of us is our fear.  We are afraid that the decision will leave us in a state of action and then we won't know what to do.  It is this uncertainty that creates our response as humans... the fight or flight.  it's scary, unkown and uncomfortable.  

4- BE COMFORTABLE WITH UNCOMFORTABLE- our moments of greatest growth typically occur when our goal is WAY Bigger than what we ever imagined, or we at our most uncomfortable state.  Imagine for a moment, you are getting into a pool.  It's the heat of summer and the pool seem cold.  you stick your toe in the pool, it seems extremely cold, but then you adapt, and it feels ok.  Then you stick your leg in.  At first, it seems so cold you don't want to move.  When you do, you get shivers because it seems so cold, but then, your body adapts,   and finally you figure "fuck it", plunge head first into the pool and for JUST A MOMENT, it is uncomfortable,  and after a few laps in the pool, it feels like you have been in there all day long and you have no issues... This is much like the events in our life.  Many times we are so scared of the cold, that we never take the plunge into the water.  we are afraid of giving up the warmth of our environment to attempt to tackle the cold of the water.  Get comfortable with it... it is what we need for growth. 

5- BE GRATEFUL-  be grateful for the smallest moments you may have.  Have an "attitude of Gratitude" for all of the goodness in your life and that of the goodness yet to come.  Gratitude begets greatness.   We need to recognize that we have been given our opportunity to have greatness in our life through accepting the greatness that exists within us each and every day.  Being grateful comes from a place of humility in which we recognize that each and everything is special in our lives.  When we recognize that it is special, we become mor einvolved in creating more special moments, events, people and things in our life. 

6- GIVE ALOT, Take little- This is one of the hardest lessons I have learned throughout my life.  I am a generous person by nature.  It is easy to take givers for granted, because they seem to be giving and giving and never stop.  But this comes from a deep place within their soul in which they understand this concept.  What if we ALL gave TWICE as much as we took from others.  What if we were to stop and truly consider that we could CHANGE the world by giving back to others rather than trying to always look out for number one?  It's a tough concept, but easy to apply.  Pay it Forward is a GREAT concept for giving, but so is smiling at people and saying hello.  

7- Build a HUMAN relationship- In an age of technology where technology replaces human connection, we are so concerned about our Facebook status, our twitter tweet, our instagram photo, that we have forgotten the human connection.  there really ARE humans out there that when we put our electronic devices down to pay attention to, actually engage in discussion and remind of us why we are on this planet.  Next time you are out with your friends, try to turn your phone off, or heck just enjoy the moment with those friends.  the human in front of you is very deserving of your attention and actually deserves better than for you to be buried in your phone. 

8- Look inside yourself often, and face your demons, because otherwise they will come haunt you.  this is a HUGE step in becoming great and I think one that MOST industry leaders may ignore or put aside.  We all have demons, scitomas and thought processes.  we all have pasts, and have a history which helps us make the decisions we make on a daily basis.  We have to recognize this and accept that part of ourselves.  A lot of us will try to ignore that we have that past or not even really be open about that past with others.  But when we are quiet with ourselves, we can help determine which path of action to take and what course to follow.  Allow yourself to feel what is going on at the core.  remember that our feelings are the pulse of our soul.  Feelings determine for us what is right and wrong for our life. 

9- Listen twice as much as you talk.  THIS is a huge one for me too.  I LOVE to talk, but I can't tell you that I learn the most when I shut my mouth and just let someone talk.  we all do.  People LOVe to talk about themselves.  One of the abilities of a great leader is the ability to teach people to lead.  In order to do that, we need to learn about them.  People whom have found their greatness are "sharers" of others stories.  They often stop, listen to another person, ask a question or to to elicit a response, and then at some point can introduce that person and tell their story. 

10- Be humble.  this was another huge lesson I had to swallow.  I am a very confident individual, and often borderline ego.  However, I have learned that ego is not the best course of action, and can create turmoil.  It is important to realize we are only as good as we are at this moment.  But it's not our job to tout how "good" we are.  Let the results speak for themselves.  Let your life speak for itself, because at the end of the day, ego can get us into trouble, where recognition of our limits, but having the ability to push past them is a HUGE and incredible trait to have.  this is where inspiration comes from,  not Ego. 

I hope at least some of this sinks in.  Am I right?  I am not trying to be right or wrong, but simply trying to share with you some thoughts I have been processing today about life.  May your day be filled with Greatness.  More thoughts to come. 

Coach K

What are you doing to create Change?

I opened my eyes, looked around the room, sat quietly and listened to the fan blowing in the room.  I looked up at the ceiling and studied the room for a moment.  I got up, wandered into the bathroom to get ready for the day.  It was dark still, and I had woken up early with the intent of getting my breakfast ready before I left for the "office' at one of the businesses I am a part of.  

I walked out into the house, and just stopped for a moment as I listened to the silence that surrounded me.  It was calming, and gave me a chance to think about what the day would turn out to be.  I had to re-direct my thinking because I had visualized some challenges that i knew would be tough to deal with that day.  So I created a new line of thinking, changing the entire outcome of what I wanted for the day.  I focussed on the results of the day and what I wanted ti to be.  I focussed on the faces of the people I could hope to inspire.

I had to stop and think to myself for a moment.  What if every person were to do that in the morning.  What if each of us were to stop for 2 minutes before heading out the door and just visualized what we wanted to do that day, what we wanted to accomplish and how we wanted to make the world a better place.  Would it make a difference? 

The answer is a resounding yes! Think for a moment in your life, at moments that were not going your direction.  What did it take to turn that situation around?  It took creating change.  

You see, in our lives, we are not reactors, but rather we are creators of change. Most of us become reactors to change rather than realizing the power we have.   We have the ability to create change in every arena of our life.  

Wait, you just said we don't have to react to change, but rather we can create it?   ABSOLUTELY YES!!! 

YOU are in control of ONE person in this world... YOU.  When you realize that YOU have a sphere of influence, and that sphere of influence can help you to create the change you want to see in the world, then you will become ultimately powerful in life.  This is not by any means, a way to get people to do what you want them to do, but rather it is a way to realize we can instigate change through helping others understand we ARE the change that needs to occur.  

More often than not things remain the same because people react to the change they are faced with.  They get angry, upset, sad or blame someone else for the situations in their life. They become victims, or persecutors, or enablers.  They begin to live in the drama triangle.  They begin to cycle through and react to each situation they are presented with in one of those roles rather than accepting that THEY are in control of their reactions, their responses and their ACTIONS, 

When we realize that we control our own thoughts, reactions and actions, then we become ultimately powerful in helping to create the change we want to see. 

Let me give you an example.  In one of my businesses, I saw a huge challenge with how the community was being put together, in how certain groups were being perceived by those outside the group. Rather than react through rolling my eyes every day(which probably happened more than I wanted it to)  I sat down with some of the people in the group and explained my side as an owner of the business and how it could affect them both positively and negatively.  I also made some recommendations as an owner to keep me happy so I wasn't on their back all the time.  This alleviated a LOT of stress for them and made it easier to work with me. 

Now, in a grander scale, the impact you want to make on the world has to be your personal legacy and mark.  Each one of us has a powerful message inside of us to deliver, whether to the world, our kids, our significant others.  There is a message of change in you to be heard.  The challenge with that is that you are limited by what you believe your impact can be. 

We are going to pick up part 2 on wednesday or Thursday....  until then, keep thinking about the changes you want in your life and what you want to create in those around you. 

Our moments of Greatest Weakness Part 1

In our moments of our greatest weakness, we must be at our point of greatest resolve.  it is our resolve which helps us to withstand adversity.  Adversity gives us the power to create an opportunity, an opportunity for growth, for change, for being great.  Adversity looks you in the eyes, challenges you, pushes on you, hits you, slams you on the ground, and tries to knock you out.

The questions you have to ask yourself when this happens are these: Will I take the easy way out and allow it to beat me?  Will I allow this to change me or will I stand up, will I fight, will I forget the pain, the hurt, the stinging? Will I get up and stand up for what I believe in?  How bad do I want whatever it is that I am after.  Am I willing to get up one more time?  Am I willing to give everything I have to make it happen?  Am I willing to ensure that I get what i want?

Are you willing to take the hits to go after what you want?  You see too often in life we lay down, we forget the power within ourselves to impact change within our own lives and in the lives of others.  You CAN make a difference in your own life.  All of us have to stop, look in the mirror and seek what it is we desire deep within ourself to overcome the fear we have within us.

You see, none of us exist without fear.  In fact I was asked this evening if I am ever afraid.  I would be naive or arrogant to say I never experience fear, however due to training for my career, due to the ablity to look at and realize fear is a state of mind, and also to create a rational thought in spite of fear and act based on that, I won't get paralyzed when fear hits.  we all have fears, we all have situations, experiences, things in life which create uncomfort.

Fear is a part of adversity, a part of challenge, a part of the unknown.  truly when we act against or with adversity, we must overcome the fear of the unknown.  We all have the power within us to do this.  It is up to you to seek the power within you, to channel it, to focus i on what it is you want and desire.  For without that focus, without that drive, that passion, it will not happen.  You must ignore the nay sayers, the people who say it's too hard.  You must use that as fuel for your next step.  You must channel the energy from those who support you and not worry about those who don't.  You must change your attitude to a never give up attitude because it's really hard to beat the person who won't give up... Have you ever tried?

What you want in life will not just automatically come to you.  Yes, you have to do your best to put it out there what you want, but the trick is not to wait for it, but to take action on it.  to ensure that the moments you discover in which you can realize your on potential are recognized.  To walk through the door rather than turn from them,  to turn the TV off and hit the gym rather than let life get in the way and beat you down.  You know and understand from JUST living, we get beat up.  we get beat up physically, emotionally, spiritually.  Are you going to stand around and let it keep happening or are you going to stop putting up with it, and take control of you, your own destiny and make the changes in your life towards what you want?

You need to be willing to put in the blood sweat and tears to make it happen.  It's not just being in the right place at the right time... while it my be part of it, it is time to realize that the successful person does what the unsuccessful person is not willing to do.  Do you rise above it and go after it? ARE YOU READY??

Destined for Greatness - Focus on Success Seminar, Saturday January 28th

Want to make 2012 YOUR best year ever? Join Coach Kevin Hughes as he presents his Destined For Greatness “Focus On Success” seminar on Saturday January 28th at 11 AM at CrossFit FTF, located at 349 N Minnewawa, Clovis, CA 93612.  

Kevin will share his thoughts and experiences he has acquired from his journey as a coach, fireman, business owner, and life coach.

We all enjoy his well timed words of inspiration and motivation on a daily basis through his online posts, so this is a wonderful opportunity to learn how to apply them to your life as a parent, athlete, employee, business owner, student and the like.

Picture taken from: http://journeyintech.blogspot.com/2011/03/march-madness-meaning-of-success.html

Kevin has spent the last 15 plus years as a coach and motivator for thousands in business and personal life success.  His passion for helping and encouraging others is apparent in all that he does through his coaching at FTF, his life as a firefighter and his Destined for Greatness Life Success coaching.  This opportunity will be given in real life, real time and real emotion.  His heartfelt presentation becomes a discussion of opportunity, internal reflection and goal attainment.

Come listen, learn and really dig deep inside of yourself as you hear this amazing presentation.  This presentation/discussion will last between 2 and 3 hours. Refreshments will be provided as well as notepads.  Please bring an open mind and a willingness to go beyond your comfort zone.

Cost $20

I REFUSE and I WILL

It is with great honor that I REFUSE the following:

I REFUSE to accept excuses from myself for not making myself better every day!

I REFUSE to expect less of myself than what i am capable of

I REFUSE to allow myself to listen to others doubt in my ability

I REFUSE to hear thsoe whom are always harping at me for going against the grain. 

I REFUSE to believe I am not good enough

I REFUSE to ever give up

I REFUSE to let myself listen to the voices of fear in my head

I REFUSE to be overcome by FEAR

I REFUSE to look away from the challenge

I REFUSE to let the beating of my heart not have purpose

I REFUSE to allow myself to see failure as bad

I REFUSE to see the negative

I REFUSE to feel bad about myself

I REFUSE to let myself stop because it might be hard

I REFUSE to accept failure as an excuse for getting back up

It is with even greater honor that I accept that I will do the following: 

I WILL always give my best

I WILL push to my limits and maybe beyond

I WILL stop making excuses

I WILL go after what I want

I WILL take the first step today towards a better tomorrow

I WILL look into the eyes of my fears and beat them down

I WILL Get back up when I fall

I WILL Fall 8 times and get back up 9

I WILL smile when it hurts

I WILL laugh when I want to Cry

I WILL realize my potential

I WILL GO AFTER IT TODAY!!!!

I WILL NO LONGER ACCEPT THAT I CAN NOT AND ONLY KNOW THAT I CAN!

You have more power in your mind and hear than you will ever know.  You have seen people do incredible things.  It is time you push yourself beyond your comfort zone.  

Thought Collection

This is a recent collection of quotes from my facebook posts.  These are all Coach K originals.  Please feel free to share.  I am currently working on an E-book of these quotes I have over the years... Look for it soon.  It will be an inspirational and motivational guide for our daily lives.  I may even be making a daily quote calendar soon!  If you use these quotes, please make the appropriate reference.  Thank you.

Thank you for reading:


The moments that define our character are those moments in which we are challenged at every level. Cherish the moments in which this occurs, use it to build upon your character. use it to allow your character to shine. When these moments occur, stop for a moment, take a breath and stride forward in the direction you know to bring you the best results.- 11/21/11


Be mindful of the expectations placed upon others for at times they(expectations) can and will set you up for disappointment. Look not to others to fulfill what you wish and desire, but look only to place expectations on how YOU handle yourself and be responsible (or have the ability to respond) for how you create your life. Allow others not to disappoint you but rather be pleasantly surprised when they act in accordance with your desires.- 11/20/11


The great thing about "experience" is the lessons that you probably learned along the way to get it. The challenge with it.. you probably needed the experience in the first place to be able to understand the lesson. 11-19-11


Defeat is only a state of the mind. Allow not the thoughts of failure to pull you down, but find the power within each fall to make you stand tall and get through the toughest of times. Always will you fall, and that matters less than what you do with it but more how tall you stand after. 11/15/11


When you stop and take inventory of your life, do you find that you are where you want to be? If not, ask yourself the one question that will challenge you beyond all.... what is holding you back? when you identify this, it will be eye opening. then and only then will you be able to move forward. If you are charging forward in the direction you choose to live, then CONTINUE STRONG and TRUE to the path you are on, let nothing stand in your way! 11/13/11


If you have EVER sat down and thought about why you do the things you do.. doesn't it make you wonder? Have you ever told yourself I don't want to do it, when you know you should, I can't when you know you can? or I won't when you know you will? We are set up with NO as our first response to everything in LIFE... Have you EVER told yourself CONSISTENTLY YES I CAN, YES I WILL, YES I WANT IT THAT BAD! If you haven't, stop defeating yourself and go after "IT"!!! 11/11/11


Each and Every moment in our life is defined by our thoughts, our actions, and our response. We have the ability to choose what we think, how we respond and what action we will take. Remember that often the thoughts, actions and responses that are true to virtue and full of integrity will often lead you down the path full of obstacles, questions and possibly even more challenges. Don't take the easy way out... ever.. Do the right thing even when no one is looking. 11/10/11


The mental state you are in at this very moment is exactly as you have allowed it to be. What are you telling yourself to be where you are right now. Are you thinking the thoughts you need to be thinking right now in order to get to where you want to be? Or are you allowing yourself to get clouded by the distractions in life? Focus, Focus, FOCUS! 11/10/11


Have you stopped to look in the mirror lately? Have you looked at the depth in your eyes, the power in your soul, the fire that burns inside? Have you found the hope inside that lights your world? Have you found the passion within to make the dreams you want the most come to life? Look deep into your own eyes... It exists within you.. UNLEASH IT!!!!11/8/11


Realize there will be days in which the Risk seems greater than the benefit. The challenge is to move beyond what you think the risk will be to move out of your comfort zone and into a realm in which the most gains will be seen. You must RISK great in order to REWARD great. What are YOU willing to do for your dreams? Are you willing to put it all on the line or will you be content with where you are at this moment and allow the success of YESTERDAY dictate your life? 11/8/11


Have you ever stopped to think how your approach to life might be changed if you found it in you just to stop letting the words "I can't" rule your world. It is you against your fears. Who will win? I win over each fear one at a time! 11/6/11


The only thing holding you back from following your dreams is you. What's your hang up? Stop worrying, start living. Enjoy each moment as they are designed to guide you closer and closer to that which you desire the most. 11/4/11


Often we must learn patience when it comes to that which we want to be successful at. Learning to understand the mechanics of getting there are the hardest part. This is why focusing on what you want and making the actions a daily habit become so important as in yesterday's post. Now, we must exercise patience as the skills, the habits and the actions will develop into that which we want. HOWEVER the most important step is still to TAKE ACTION! 11/3/11


In your own success, find something you are passionate about and let the success follow you. I have never "worked" a day in my life because I have the opportunity to follow both of my "Passions" in my gym and firefighting careers. It is all to often we allow ourselves to settle in life. Wake up every day with purpose and find YOUR calling... pursue that! 11/3/11


Become disciplined in that which you desire the most. Worry not about the outcome, but focus on the action every day. Soon enough it will become a habit and a part of your life. Envision it to be so and it will be. 11/2/11


Opportunities arise daily. It is up to you to stop, recognize when they come at you and take action when they do. This can include not only personal, but business, and other opportunities as well. Don't let your FEAR of the unknown stop you from taking a risk to go after what you want. 11/2/11


States of quiet observation and paying attention to the actions and words of others is sometimes just what one needs to become recentered, focussed and learn about those around them and themselves. This is a positive step in our growth process as leaders, coaches and motivators.  11/1/11

Attitude of Life

Attitude more than aptitude determines your altitude in life. - Unknown Author


I have heard that quote a few times.  For those of you who have been patiently waiting for a new post, I am sorry it has taken so long to write.  I have been enjoying every moment with the three most important people in my life- my children.  So it is today that I have to discuss attitude.

Our lives are greatly determined by our attitude. When it hurts, do you stop, or do you turn it off, keep going and push through? Do you give your best or do you back off? Do you trust you can or question it? Do you KNOW you have more, or do you let yourself just stop. I would rather die giving all I have to life than quit giving up in what I believe I am able to do!


This was one of my recent facebook post.  I am convinced that our attitude greatly determines what happens to us in life.  Our attitude determines how we react to given situations.  You see, our lives are stories with emotions we tell ourselves.  This goes with everything we have talked about in this blog.  We talk a great deal about success, getting what you want out of life, but it begins with our attitude. 


Have you ever noticed the days you may wake up and the first thing that comes out of your mouth is some sort of expletive deleted because you woke up late, or you couldn't get your car to start, or the red lights just keep piling up.  The funny thing about that is, the more frustrated you get, the more the universe will respond with.. guess what.. frustration.  


This gets down to the core of the law of attraction.  You see, John Maxwell explains in his book.. "The Difference Maker" how much attitude affects everything we do! The outcome of our day, the words we say, the mood we are in, the people we meet, the moments in our life can all be changed through our attitude.  


We determine how we are going to react to any given situation.  We are the ONLY person who can determine our own attitude.  If we determine that there are things in our life that suck.. for instance, if your car sucks, and your job sucks, and your boyfriend or girlfriend sucks, or your house suck, then maybe YOU suck.  That's an ATTITUDE.  It simply takes a switch in how you deal with life or what you tell yourself.  


When we simply put the thoughts of a smile out, the universe will respond by aligning situations throughout the day to make us smile.  It will out people in our lives and attract the things we need to encourage that positive attitude and keep us going.  when our negativity vibes out there, we will receive just that, more negativity. 


I am going to leave this here for now and come back to this topic in a bit.  Remember for now, Our attititude is one of the greatest assets we have and will completely determine how we react to any given situation.

Impossible becomes possible when you simply- Believe!

So This weekend I had an opportunity to stop, smell the roses and have a chance to spend time with the three little lights of my eyes as well as good friends and people close to me.  tIt was an amazing weekend for me to reflect.  I was able to take a walk on my own a few times when every one went to sleep.  I was also able to hold my sons hand, and take him for a walk, catch a tadpole with him and really just enjoy the quality time with him.  I also got to see my daughter become an instant entrepeneur as she created her t-shirt design.  I saw my littlest one become an instant friend of other smaller kids and have a blast while he was sharing his heart and energy with others.  Even as I sit here typing, they are here, sleeping quietly, looking innocent and powerful in their own light.  SO I had time to reflect for a moment on what it is that makes the ordinary turn into the extraordinary, the simple turn into the advanced, the worker turn into the leader, the heart turn to solid gold, the taker turn into the giver, the impossible become the possible and the unbelievable become the believable.

The first thing I was thinking about as I was looking at the moonlight shimmering down over the lake was how amazing it is that we exist in such an amazing and powerful world.  We are here in tumultuous times with opportunites presented to us all around.  The challenge is in the way people think, not in the situation we are in.  I sat listening quietly to the lake, contemplating what things I have accomplished in my life, what I have turned away from, what types of opportunities have presented themselves to me and just sat with them for a moment and was grateful for the opportunites that I have had the ability to recognize and to believe in them when maybe many others didn't or wouldn't.  I looked for a moment in all of the people who have been attracted into my life, and gave thanks for the powerful and inspirational people, namely all of you, whom have touched my life and gave a silent thanks for the opportunity to strneghten bonds between friends, and to be able to have the ability to be open and share.   You see, before you can recognize an opportunity tha tis laid out before you, you have to recognize those that are already in your life.  The best way I have seen to recognize those opportunites is to give thanks for them.

Once you have given thanks, it is then time to work on belief.  And when I say belief, I don't mean like the belief in the tooth fairy, or belief in Santa Clause, but belief in yourself and your abilities to achieve.  As a coach, I am often put in situations in which people have a lack of belief or doubt the ability they have in themselves.  It is often my goal or my "job" as a coach to create belief in themselves.  And wait, you saym you have to CREATE belief in someone?  Yes.  We have to create belief in ourselves.  You see, we inherently as kids have nothing but belief that we can do anything- meaning that we can leap off a huge tree and survive, we can swim any amount of miles, we can be the president, we can be where the wild things are, we can be anything we want to be and literally do anything we want to do.  This goes back to a few posts ago when I talked about how perfect children are.  Their belief in being able to do anything until proven differently and then determination even if they can't is a HUGE lesson we often forget and have to "remember" for ourselves. At one time, each and every one of us believed in ourselves.  Our parents, our life, our teachers, those who were "Leading" us in our own lives began to create some of the emotions associated with how we feel about ourselves.  And then we continue to build upon that into adulthood.

Let me use an example of my kids versus another set of kids I saw this weekend camping.  My kids showed me a rattlesnake this weekend, so I followed my son down the path and had him point out where he saw the snake.  I didn't act in disbelief but I wasn't quite expecting to see anything when I got there.  It was one of those situations where as a dad.. you say "OK, let's see together and find out"  So I followed them down and sure enough there was a baby rattler right there to the side of the trail, although it took us a while to see it.  And there was another kid coming down with his dad a little after who said to his kid something derogatory in nature towards his "personality" and calling him ... well let's just say it wasn't the nicest thing.  So you see, when we are talked to as kids, by those whom lead us, it shapes us, it guides us and lays down the foundation for who you are today.

This doesn't mean that if someone didn't believe in you as a child you can't gain belief.  In my experience as a coach, I have seen many instances where you can "Borrow" belief.  I have had to in many instances in my own life, "Borrow" Belief from my peers, coaches, teachers.  I have also been there to give belief to people that they can go beyond what they think they can do, and achieve the once "Impossible" task and make it through without harm!  This is one of the wonderful things about our lives.  You see, we are all coaches, teachers, students, motivators, educators, in need, able to give, and have varying and different degrees of belief.  The beautiful thing about this is at any given moment we can stop and lean on someone else if we need to to borrow the belief or the lack of fear they may have for the task we are feeling is impossible.  I feel this is the FIRST step if you are lacking belief and are wanting to take on what you feel is impossible.

Let's take a look at the title of this .  The Impossible becomes possible when you simply- Believe!  When we Create in our life, we are in a state of belief.  We believe in our mind what we want to believe.  If we limit ourselves to our "Self Limiting beliefs", then the ability to do anything really does get hindered.  I think the best example I have seen of self-limiting beliefs are in the CrossFit facility with the "Box Jump".  the goal of this ecercise is of course to.. jump on a box.  For some reason, 16" can scare the pants off the toughest and most fit individual coming into the facility.  It is a MENTAL game we play with ourselves that keeps us from believing.  We create stories in our mind that tell us we won't make it or we may get hurt.  We attach emotions the the "FEAR" of failure and become "destined for failure" rather than Destined for Greatness.  We are capable of so much more in our lives than we give ourselves credit for.  The problem is NOT that we can NOT, but that we CHOOSE not to do the things we want in our own lives.  this simply comes down to that one word which is belief.

Leaders are created in their own minds.  This means that, yes, there are s certain set of human characteristics that "Leaders" possess, but when it comes down to it, Leaders in life typically have the ability to BELIEVE they are doing the right thing, whether they are or not.  Leaders know how to CREATE belief in others.  This is in my opinion one of the BEST qualities of a leader.  The ability to look at someone, see the potential within and help that person recognize where their strengths are and help them to work on their weaknesses becomes a huge ability in Leadership roles.  Sometimes Leaders need to use this to their advantage to help accomplish a common goal.  Leaders recognize when belief is wavering as well.  Look at some of the stories of the best leaders not only in history, but in movies.  The best stories, like Braveheart where William Wallace creates belief in his troops because he recognized the wavering of the army, become great examples of leadership.  We MUST create belief in our own lives, belief in ourselves as leaders in order to achieve that which may seem impossible.

As my eyeballs hang in the balance, Let me wrap up tonights' post which I will continue later this week with.. to CREATE the Impossible, you must BELIEVE in the impossible.

What are some things YOU have found impossible that you have overcome?

Change what you can, and if you can't, then change how you look at it!

So today, I had an amazing day.  i spent time with three incredible children that always remind me of truly what I desire in life, and what it means to have unbridled joy and undeterred energy filled with passion, excitement, joy and unconditional love.  You see, more of us should look into what things are going on with kids.  we try to shape them to fit the societal norm, and make the world in their mind fit the way we see it... when in reality, we need to take a look in the mirror and see what it is that we might be "screwing up" in our own minds.. Yes, I said "Screwing up" on purpose. 

For things you can't change, gain a new perspective. 

Image from: http://www.toxel.com/inspiration/2008/05/18/3d-sidewalk-chalk-art/

You see, we are so often so intent on changing things to fit our lives or to fit our ideals, that we get frustrated, lost, angry, and essentially "Lose" ourselves in whatever it is we might be trying to change rather than stopping and gaining perspective.  I think we have all had experiences in life in which we have gotten wrapped up in a situation that when we stop to look at it, we finally realize that MAYBE it wasn't necessarily the situation that was frustrating or the challenge laid before us that was frustrating, but how we were looking at it, the perspective we gave it, the meaning we originally intended for it to have in our lives.  this is where the ability to grow, adapt and change comes into play.  

You see, we as humans have the inane stubborn ability to look at life the way we WANT to see it and not necessarily at life as how REALITY is presenting itself.  We gain perspective on the things we hold true and near to our heart and then no one can change our mind about how we feel about it or what we tell ourselves about it.  

Take for example,. a situation at work.  You probably enjoy going to your job every day, get up, throw your hands in the air, jump for joy and go "YES I have the PRIVILEGE of going to work today"  Right???  (I know I do.. because I happen to love all three careers I have chosen)   What do you mean you don't?  Why not? 

So let's look a the title of the post.  "Change what you can, and if you can't change it then change the way you look at it".  OK So let's apply this to your job then.  So there are really two choices if you are discontent with your job as I see it.  If you are NOT happy with your current situation, what can you do about it?  either Change it (in other words, change your job) or accept what is and look at in a different way.  Maybe actually be thankful you have a job in this economy, look at it as providing for you and your family, and be grateful your skills are being used in whatever manner they may be used.  This can come down to a change in attitude from an attitude of supplication to an attitude of gratitude.  

Wait- Go back on that one Kev- What?  OK, so most of us have an attitude of I deserve this, or I should be doing that.  Where we can help ourselves to start to look at things differently is by being grateful for what it is that we do have.  Start with this- When you wake up, what are the things, people, situations, emotions in your life you are thankful for, or will be thankful for?  You seem we need to change our frequency to deal with the things we CAN'T change and put them in a higher frequency for a better response from the universe.  I may be learning this slowly, but I understand the concept.  If we can create more positive energetic vibration around a situation, then that situation ends up having a more positive response in our life.  there are a lot of things in our lives we can change if we want to.  The biggest inability we have of change is other people.  So when it comes to perspective, to changing the way we look at things, allowing people to be who they are and then looking at them in a different light may be what we need to do in order to accept who they are and not want or expect them to change who they are.  Also, we must realize that when people want change, they will create the vibration in their life to make the changes they want by simply putting the intent into the universe to align with what it is they want, whether conscious or subconscious, it happens.  This affect changes the world we live in on a daily basis.  

The point of all of this is, that it is easy for us to get frustrated when we want something or someone to change and they won't.  It means we need to back up, worry about the things we can change ( ourselves, our actions, our emotions, our situation) and if we can't change it (other people, certain random events, weather, etc.) then look at it differently and find a new perspective.  You will find that life plays out much more peaceful if you can start taking these steps!

Life is a Highway- And we are the drivers......

You know, Chris Le'Doux Said it best when he said "Life is a highway, I wanna ride it all night long".  Well as I have been travelling more and more, I find truly that Life, is a highway and much life the highway, how we drive our cars can dictate how we might live in many areas of our lives.  I have spent many countless hours in my car on trips to Los Angelas, San Francisco, Fresno, and pretty much everywhere in between and especially as I am travelling with my kids this month, I am paying attention more and more to the way people drive.

Think about for a moment all the types of drivers there are in life.  And realize there is ABSOLUTELY no science behind this, just my observation.  There are angry aggressive people who dodge in and out of traffic cutting others off, without a care as to whether they cause bodily damage to any one else, taking extreme risks and cutting it close all the time ( High Risk takers... sometimes in life these risks are too extreme???).  There are people who get in a crowd of traffic, and work their way through the traffic but in a consistent and calculated manner and are cautious of other people and the "Space" around their vehicle.  They eventually pull away from the crowd in success to reach their destination a little ahead of schedule.  (these are calculated risk takers in life)  there are those who pull in to the fast lane when traffic is moving faster than them and just SIT THERE blocking traffic from proceeding behind them all the while acting as if there is no care in the world (Know anyone like this in your life.. an obstacle, or a challenge to go around or "deal" with"?)   there are those who kick it in the slow lane and watch the rest of traffic pass them by. (Maybe someone who allows life to control them rather than the other way around).  there are then the motorcycles who speed up in between you in traffic who make their own way (maybe someone who is blazing their own trail with calculated risk).  Each type of driver there is out there can represent some area of our lives.  And i say some area because this is how I see it:

We are all drivers on our own highway of life.  But along the way there are lane changes, traffic jams, slow people, fast people, exits, turns, curves, mountains, etc.  How we drive in each of these situations may very well be a representation of how we live our life.  We all have the road we are travelling paved with it's own stuff.  It is our decision on how to drive our highway much like it is our decision how to drive in a highway full of others whom are in control of their own car and lives.  It was so clear to me when I was coming back to Fresno the other day that each of us, we have to recognize that our highway is ours but we have to look at how our highway is guiding us and what it is giving is in our own life.  How are you driving down your highway?  At what moment do you become the calculated risk taker versus the slow cautious driver?  At which point do you say I'm going too slow and need to pick it up?  At which point do you say, I'm going too fast and need to hit the brakes?  you see, when we are driving, I have heard that we may make up to 1000 decisions a minute- maybe more!  that's a ton.  If we do that while driving, then JUST IMAGINE how many decisions you are making in your daily life?

How are you choosing to drive on your highway???

The perfection of Children- A good example for us!

Sorry for the delay in writing to all of you.  I have been heavily involved in working at the fire station as well as getting prepared for the month long visit from my children which I have recently started!  It has been an amazing beginning of the trip and I have found myself observing, watching and looking at my children in different light this trip as their roles in my life continually develop, change and grow.  

My kids are 12, 10 and 8- Nicole, Jared and Jacob respectively.  I have never seen more perfection in a soul or in actions as kids.  As I have watched over the last few days I have paid attention to mood, communication, stories, actions, excitement, drama, temper tantrums, blwoing up, hurt feelings, and all of the above.  And it ALL made sense to me.  Let me use their stories to help us identify what we can do as people to recognize our own challenges. 

You see, I have said this before, but we are born perfect as kids.  As I watched my kids here are the qualities I see: 

• Fearless
• open to communicate in the LOUDEST way possible
• Curious
• Inspired
• Determined
• Playful
• Engaged in life
• Emotional
• Not closed off
• Loving
• Open to affection
• Able to act without thought
• Unaware of danger
• not in tune with the bad stuff in the world
• Open to lessons
• Learns lessons easily

When we start to examine our own lives and how we have gotten to where we are, sometimes we have to look at what our actions and our lives we lead are like.  I would venture to say if we were half as fearless as we were when we were kids, we would accomplish so much more in life because we would not care about the outcome, nor would we care what others thought. You see, so often we work so hard on pleasing others, we forget what it truly is that we want or desire.  We sometimes forget what our dreams and goals are because we are so focussed outwardly on what other people think of us. 

You see, our dreams, our goals, our visions of what we want in our life, they are ours.  they don't belong to anyone else.  Kids get this.  They understand that it is everything to be able to communicate, it is everything to be able to just exist in the moment.  They don't worry about tomorrw.  They very rarely regret the past.  They simply exist for what it is in front of them at this moment, at this time.  It is with age, we gain "Wisdom" which sometimes can hinder our greatest achievements because we are worried about who will say something or what will people think if we do.

You see, we need to be more inquisitive, more trusting, more willing to put ourselves out there, more able to dream, more open to others, more communicative.  If we all did this as adults, could you imagine what this world would be like and how much we could accomplish as a human race?  The only limit we would have is how fast we could come up with resources for anything we wanted.  It is up to us on a daily basis to live the way we choose to live.  I am choosing to live in the moment.  What are you choosing?   Today is all we have..take lessons from those who know how to live in the moment the best, our children. 

You have the choice and the "Responsibility" for your own life

Lately, I have been around people in my own life whom have been stuck where they are in life, in being "scared" of being vulnerable, "afraid" of the future and what it might bring and "have fear" of the what-if's in life.  So I have thought a great deal on this fear, the reactions we have to life and what our lives are to become.  And as I was thinking and coaching my last seminar, i starting speaking a great deal about the choices we make in life.  You see, we have the responsibility to live our lives any way we choose.  What do I mean by this?

Let's break down the word- Responsibility into it's components:
Respond Ability- Yes, the ability to respond.  You see, we all have the ability to respond, or essentially the "Choice" to follow our hearts desires, or not to.  We all have challenges placed in front of us all the time.  it is how YOU CHOOSE TO RESPOND to these challenges and situations that will dictate the outcome.  Let's use an example.

Let me use as I often do, the choices we make regarding our own health and wellness.  You see, we are all given 24 hours in a day.  We are all given the time we need to accomplish the things that we need to do.  Here is the challenge.  Are the choices you are making allowing you to progress towards your goals.  In the event of fitness, I spent a number of years working for a large globo-gym style gym convincing people they need to work out.  Wait a second, I had to CONVINCE people they needed to move their body in order to be healthy and well.  And here is what I thought about as I was doing so.  isn't it a choice to move your body?  Isn't it a choice to do what it takes to stay healthy.  Isn't it a choice to do the things that inherently we know are going to be good for our body?  How often in yopur own life, have you made the choice to put your own health on the back burner and go do something OTHER than take care of yourself.  Let me put it another way.  If you were given the choice between all natural food that you had to prepare and food that was already prepared for you, what would you choose?  (those of you whom are close to me know how I choose to live about 85-90% of the time)

It is your ability to respond to the hours given to you in any day that help to dictate the choices you make.  Let me also take this from another angle.  The choices we make to be emotionally attached to a situation, a person, or a feeling also are dependent upon YOUR CHOICE.  Let's say for example. someone close to you does something that completely destroys the trust you had in that person.  You now have the ability to respond in any way which you see fit.  You see, most people tend to carry that with them between themselves and that person forever.  But it is YOUR CHOICE to be open and learn to trust again.  You have to be willing and make the choice to put that past you.  You can make the choice to forgive and maybe not forget.  The ability to make a choice to get beyond an incident or situation comes down to personal responsibility.  the ONLY thing we control in life is our own thoughts, feelings and actions.  I once heard that change the things you can, and for those you can't change the way you look at them.  What great advice!  This can be true of our own emotions and feelings.  Choose to look a things differently when you are challenged.  Choose to change how you feel, choose a different emotion.  Choose a different path.  It is your responsibility!  It is your life!! MAKE IT WHAT YOU WANT!

Sometimes I see people who make a choice not to make a choice.  Realize this is again exercising your ability to respond to a given situation.  You are now choosing NOT to make a choice which inherently keeps you right where you are.  If you are comfortable with this and the storyline you tell yourself (your emotions) are copasetic with that "Choice" then by all means, don't make a decision.  One of the hardest things we do when we make a choice is face our own fears and stigma's associated with it.  It means things may be uncomfortable.  It means we may have to get out of our comfort zone and make progress or stay right where we are.  It means we may fail... but that is all part of the process.  It is all part of taking responsibility for who we are and what we want out of our lives!

The past is done, so live without regret, the future is tomorrow, so don't worry about it, Today is here and now, that's why it's called the present.  Open up the gift you have been given and choose to live the life you want.

Next topic... how to accept and create change in your life.

Everything else is just an excuse!

It has been said before that "You'll go after what you want, everything else is just an excuse".  This couldn't be more true.  As a coach, a mentor, a friend, an educator, a motivator, a father, a son, a brother, I have seen so many people in my life create excuses and not go after what it is they want.  Today, we want to break down the excuses and take a look at what is really going on and why it is we continue to create excuses in our lives to go after what it is we really want.
You see, there are many things we want in our lives and many things we want to go after.  I will use today as an example to you of what I ALMOST used as an excuse.  You see, I just got home from a Rescue Class this week.  In fact, it was an awesome physically demanding and challenging class.  We were completing some shoring yesterday (stuff to hold up structural collapses ) and in the VERY last event of the day, I decided I no longer wanted my thumb, so destroyed it with a hammer while I was holding on to a nail.  Immediately it swelled up, became purple and is EXTREMELY tender to the touch.  Now, if anyone has had this happen, it can be excruciating.. and in fact it IS excruciating.   So i almost let this stop me from doing what I love to do... Working out.  I had to stop, listen to what I was telling myself, and change the path I was going down to ensure I was on track with what I wanted and stop allowing myself to make excuses that it would hurt.  There was one point in the workout in which I hit the tip of my thumb.  Yes, it hurt, but my will to endure the workout was greater than the will to stop.
What's the point of all of this?  The point is, for what we really want in life, our fitness, our health, that dream career, that dream person, the dream car, whatever it is, we will go after it if we REALLY want it, otherwise we will find our own way out of it.  Let me use another example of this with the gym, in particular, CrossFit.
Most of the CrossFit Affiliates post their workouts the day before or the day of the actual workout.  Here's the great opportunity for you.. you can "Cherry pick" the workouts you want to do right?  But is that staying true to your ultimate goal of fitness, or is that you "picking" what you are good at and focussing on that?  If you TRULY wanted to become over-all better at fitness, then wouldn't you come in as many times as it takes to get there?   Wouldn't you pick the weaknesses as much as the strengths to work on?  If you truly wanted to improve over-all, wouldn't you not make the excuse of "eh... well, it looks like a tough workout today" and come in any way?  What is it that you are afraid of?
If you look to others for motivation and inspiration and they are achieving what you want to achieve, follow what they are doing, or at least ask them how they get through without listening to their inner excuse.  We all have it, that inner excuse.  It's just a matter of over-coming it.  It's the same with nutrition, with all other areas of life.  We all have the same 24 hours in a day, it;s how you lay it out and what you CHOOSE to do with it that will determine the outcome of what you want to do.  How good are you at making excuses and listening to them?  What is it that YOU want and how are YOU going to overcome those excuses?  Later, I will post on getting out of the comfort zone again and how to stop listening to those inner excuses.  Remember....

You'll go after what you want,  Everything else is just an excuse!!  (thanks Koshi for the quote)
 Jason had a pretty good fall during the West Sac Standoff, but got up and kept going.. after only CrossFitting for 3 weeks!!!! What an animal!  Thanks for your inspiration!