CAN DO vs. CAN'T

Just the other day I was outside of the gym and met an individual I hadn't met before. I introduced myself and the response wasn't the typical.

The woman said, "Oh, your the famous trainer to all the stars!"

Her response caught me off guard. Yea, I think the world of my clients- they're all stars to me. I couldn't help but to laugh. She wanted to know how I became a trainer and why. I gave a brief little synopsis as well as explained the wide variety of clients I train. I explained that I have a wide variety of clients of all ages, weight loss, weight gain, specific training, nutrition, male and females, moms and dads, expectant mothers, people with various careers- but the one thing they all have in common is the desire be a better version of themselves.

It got me thinking though. I've had the opportunity to work with some clients with some serious life challenges. I've worked with clients who have had cancer, have had a heart attack or stroke, been in severe accidents, as well as individuals who have had some very big surgeries that I was able to help be apart of their rehab.

So what's the lesson? The lesson come from those who have faced struggle. Many times I'll start with a new person who basically is healthy, they just need to move more and eat less processed foods- maybe drop some weight. Sure, that can be hard because breaking bad habits is difficult- But when I start a client who has just had a major surgery, they don't look at me and tell me everything they can't do. The person trusts me to be educated and to train them effectively. The person wants me to understand WHERE they have been, but they want me to guide them and show them what they CAN do. They count on me to have a starting point for them, but also provide them progressive steps and education for their future. I take away from these superstar clients of mine, It's about what they CAN DO, not about what they CAN'T do.

I'm almost positive that we can all stand in front of the bathroom mirror and tell ourselves everything we aren't, but my question is can we stand in front of the mirror and look at the positives? Can we wake up and be thankful we are blessed to see another day? It's easy to get caught up in the negative of what we are not. But look at the positive... WE MAKE THE CHOICE OF:

Who we are
What we are about
What we can offer others
How we can encourage others
How we can HELP others
WE CREATE US.

Yes, I get it, we all have bad days. But I encourage and challenge you to not look at your bad days as a complete waste. Take those so called 'bad days' and find the positives. Find the positive even if means encouraging someone else. I encourage you to be the person that you wish to see and interact with each day.

BeBlessed
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People Centered

Many of you saw my posts on either instagram or facebook about being in Los Angeles for the IHRSA 2015 Convention. I had been two years ago, learned various things concerning health and fitness, but was even more excited to return this year. I was excited to experience the latest workouts as well as hear from some of the leaders in the health and fitness clubs and hear how they run their programs or train their clients.

I can't speak for other trainers, but for me, I desire to learn. No matter if it's mind, body, soul... I understand I'm always learning. And that's the biggest thing I was able to take away from the IHRSA Convention. In one of the seminars Todd Durkin said, "If your the smartest person in the room, your doing something wrong". I wrote the quote down on a piece of paper and continued to think about that. I began to make a mental list of WHO I spend a majority of my time with. I thought of people I interactive with outside of the gym. Then wrote on my notebook,

"who am I surrounding myself with?

And then Todd said, "Think about it... EVERY successful person has a Coach or Mentor".

FACT!

My desire to be better every days comes down to who I surround myself with. I want to be better than I was yesterday so I must do what most aren't willing to do. And how I accomplish that comes down to my daily 'routine'.

I often get the following questions,

"How did you lose 90 pounds?"
"How can you get up so early every day?"
"How can you eat vegetables every day?"
"How do you workout all the time?"
"Where does your motivation come from?"
"How can you train so many people?"

My ROUTINE supports my goals. And my motivation comes from a burning desire to NEVER give up on myself or the people I work with. For my personal goals, I have a Coach who I check in with daily and challenges me to be better. For my career goals, I have a boss who challenges me to be better each day. I must make sure I'm always being progressive.

So what did I learn and take away from stepping outside of Kansas? I learned that it's easy to get caught up in our own little world. Week after week, my routine is the same and I can take the people I work with and the job I have at Genesis Health Clubs for granted. I get tired, I get weary, I get hungry, I get money centered and I forget to give each one of my clients the very best session or class that Alison can offer. It's easy to half ass your job when you get comfortable. How many times do I preach to my clients, "to grow you have to step outside of your comfort zone"? Sure I don't mind challenging myself and stepping outside of my comfort zone for a workout. But how many times have I missed the opportunity to service a member or client because I was in the frame mind of "Am I going to get paid for this"? Sometimes there's no pay and you just have to do what's right because it's the right thing to do!

Don't get me wrong, routines are important. Pay is important. But what I'm getting at is one can never lose their purpose. One can never lose their "WHY" for what their doing. I got into this career to help people, make a positive difference and to encourage others on their fitness journey. My motto can never be, just get through the day. My attitude must be servant driven, humble, and willing to learn. That's the type of trainer I want to be. My goal is to be a trainer willing to learn and serve the members and clients I have the opportunity to work with each day. The type of trainer I want to be is one with Purpose, Passion, and Drive. Iron sharpens Iron, may I never forget that. May I surround myself with people who positively challenge me to be better and may I positively challenge my clients to be healthier and fitter individuals!

Huge thank you to Genesis Health Clubs for continuing to invest in me.

Be Blessed
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