But before we get to that…
I recently completed my (third) COVID “purge.” You know, the purge where you go through clothing and possessions and literally jettison things which have no meaning or serve no purpose in day-to-day. I’m still surprised as to what’s survived prior purges!
Those who know me know that I am not a possessions/money-oriented kind of individual. Without going into my whole life philosophy (which was altered quite drastically in 2020 with COVID and social/racial issues), I believe “less is more” and have adopted a more minimalist mindset and lifestyle.
In terms of fitness, a minimalist approach is desperately needed by so many in our country. Unfortunately, we’re constantly bombarded by others who profess that the only means to achieve success with your health is through sometimes very complex (and expensive) methods. Not true!
I’d argue that the first step for many is to quiet the mind. Whether this involves meditation or seeing a therapist (or some other method) is a very personal and individual matter. The purpose of this “quieting” is so that one can clearly see and focus on true priorities rather than countless distractions.
In that moment of quiet, we’re open to the possibility that maybe, just maybe, our physical and mental health are more important than the acquisition of wealth and possessions. After all, without health, what good are those things? What happiness can they actually bring?
And now…
Jonathan is an Englishman and a client of mine from back towards my beginning days as a trainer. He grappled with getting his mind in sync with his body and well, I’ll just let you read his very thoughtful testimonial. In the end, his “inner child” is what propelled him forward.
There were no diets. No supplements. No crazy workout routines. No electronic gadgets. No magic. No sorcery. No gimmicks. No fads. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. All he did was clear his mind, then he started moving more and eating less. I dare you to do the same.
Mind Body Spirit
Woke up one day and my honey looked at my bulging waistline and …
You know the drill – joined a gym and “Hi Freddy”, did my 30 minutes training – a week – and engaged my new found knowledge on several pieces of apparatus perhaps 2-3 times each week. Bought my new “I’m in training wardrobe” so I could look the part. My mind echoed the message “I’m getting fit at last”
My body said “ouch – we’re doing great BUT can’t we miss this session – there are so many other things we really need to do FIRST”. My Spirit didn’t buy any of this – just waited for this momentary aberration to pass – chalk it up to another broken promise to self. Why? Simple – a small word called “Commitment”. Without it, nada. With it, unstoppable.
I somewhat wasted my first 18 months with Freddy. Oh sure, I stuck with it, did my stuff and looked like I was in training. And all the while, Freddy nurtured me and encouraged me and waited. He knew exactly where I was, even if I didn’t – my body doesn’t lie. And then something interesting happened, we moved house.
During the move from La Mesa to La Mesa, I got off the couch as it was being moved and actually performed some significant physical activity over a three week period. And voila, I lost 14 pounds in the process. HMMMM! That was in August 2012.
By Christmas, the weight was back on. I guess that “Commitment” was not yet part of my belief system. Sometime around May 2013, I grew increasing uncomfortable answering Freddy’s questions with how well I was doing with my diet and exercise. Plain and simple, I was not of connected mind/body/spirit.
Somewhere in my inner child a switch closed and I started to take my fitness seriously for the first time in my life. Now I was able to answer Freddy with a clear conscious, and feel good about myself, even feel proud of myself. Guess what – I began to lose weight. Freddy showed signs of hope in me as well.
At last, Spirit engaged and “Commitment” came out of the closet. You see, with commitment on my side, my negative inner me, my inner brat, didn’t stand a chance. I began to walk the dogs for 40 minutes a day “Cesar – the dog God – I am your disciple”. My dogs were over the moon.
As the weight peeled away, my commitment strengthened – positive reinforcement no less. Planks went from 30 seconds to 3 minutes. I wanted to do better, more, quicker, faster. Sounds like an advert for Superman.
OK. Let’s step back for a moment and not get too carried away. I’m human after all. Work, health, and stress do get in the way and the road to success does come with many forks in it. But back in May 2013, I did come to the crossroads, and I chose the path to the town of Commitment. And my Spirit bought in. Has yours? With Spirit engaged, look out …
Thank you Freddy for your patience, encouragement and, above all, faith.
Jonathan
