10:10 Talk

Dream 3

More thoughts about my dream:

 

My dream helps me prioritize.  Some of those pesky, but urgent chores lose their power when my dream is in sight.  All those little urgencies can add up to a lifetime of futility if I'm not diligent.

 

My dream gives me hope.  Probably my all time favorite movie (and I know for many of you too) is "The Shawshank Redemption".  The lead character, Andy Dufresne, is wrongly convicted of murder and spends the next two decades within the confines of the Shawshank State Penitentiary.  While some of the other characters succumb to becoming "institutionalized" and lose their desire for freedom, Andy remains a symbol of hope though considered a dreamer by his friends.  His efforts, i.e., his service, brings significant progress to not only the inmates but to the guards and warden as well.  Despite horrendous suffering while serving his time, Andy confides to his closest friend Red of the hope he still had.  In the end his ultimate dream is revealed and realized.  Great fiction.

 

 "Fear can hold you prisoner, hope can set you free"

An even more horrendous story, but a true one, comes from Victor Frankl's book "Man's Search For Meaning".  This classic work that I've heard mentioned many times was displayed on a table with other classic reads at the Barnes & Noble on Glades Rd. in Boca.  We were doing some last minute school supply shopping for my baby, who's now a freshman at FAU, when I spotted the table.  BTW, if you like bookstores, and you're in the Boca area, check this place out!  It's pretty freakin' amazing.

 

 

The book includes Frankl's essay "Experiences in a concentration camp".  During World War II Frankl survived Nazi Germany's largest concentration camp, Auschwitz.  As a trained neurologist and  psychiatrist prior to being captured, Frankl was uniquely qualified to witness the transformation of prisoners.  These prisoners were stripped of all possessions including their name.  Their tatooed numbers became their identities to guards who frequently beat them, starved them, forced them to live in squalor, and pushed them into hard physical labor.

 

 

Frankl discovered that any of his attempts at fighting the camp's influence on the prisoners had to aim at giving them inner strength by pointing out a future goal to which he could look forward.  Instinctively some of the prisoners attempted to find one on their own.  "It is a peculiarity of man that he can only live by looking to the future... And this is his salvation in the most difficult moments of his existence, although he sometimes has to force his mind to the task."

 

Praise God I don't live in a situation where I have to force my mind to the task.  My challenge is simply to avoid the constant distractions of life and to keep my task in front of me.

 

My dream pulls my world together.  Said another way, my dream gives me purpose.  In everything.  I mentioned before that everything counts.  If I generate some extra income, for example, it goes to paying down debt.  'Cause the sooner I'm debt free, the sooner I can experience the freedom of my dream.  BTW, Dave Ramsey's book "Money Makeover" is the best tool I know to achieve that. 

 

In less than a week, it's going to be October 10.  "So?" you ask.  Expressed another way, it'll be 10/10.  I can't let that date pass without doing something!  To give you a clue, I'm going to assemble the 10:10 Dream Team - a relatively small group of like-minded kooks who'd like to spread the mission of 10:10 Wellness.  I'll share more in "Dream 4".

 

Dream 2

After reading my first cut about dreams did you think about yours?  I hope so.  I thought of some of the good qualities of my dream.  Here they are in no particular order:

 

My dream will make the world a better place.  Does that statement sound too much like a platitude?  Or empty like the bumper sticker "Visualize Whirled Peas"?  It shouldn't.  If my dream amounts to no more than a transaction (bigger house, second house, boat, car, etc.) I'll surely be disappointed.  Those things, while nice and fun, don't last.  A better way to say this might be "my dream serves other people".  Without exception, every successful, fulfilled person I know has discovered that service to others is the ultimate life expression.

 

My dream expands my possibilities.  To help people get a handle on their dreams, Brian Tracey posed the question:  "What great thing would you dare to dream if you knew you could not fail?"  The answer to that question reveals my desires and abilities.  While it might seem a worthy dream if I wanted to become a brain surgeon, I know in my gut that I don't have the right stuff to bring that to fruition.  What I do have, my mental possessions if you will, can be multiplied into a destination of endless possibilities.  In this way I can say my dream is like a seed with a unique DNA that will produce a specific fruit.

 

My dream is my dream.  Not my parents.  Not my boss.  Not even the hot brunette's.  It's mine.  It's that seed thing - unique to me.  However, I will admit that I believe it was God who planted it within me.  Another part of this is that my dream is private.  Like a tiny, tender plant just emerging from the soil, I don't want my dream to be trampled.  Though not used in exactly the same context, Jesus said "...do not throw your pearls to pigs.  If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces" (Matthew 7:6) 

 

My dream is actionable.  If all I do is think about my dream with no accompanying action, then I'm a dreamer.  That's kind of like a loser with a really good attitude.  The cool thing about having a dream that's actionable is that now my every move can contribute to the realization of that dream.  Some Sunday afternoon you may pass my house and see me in the yard on my hands and knees pulling foreign plants from my manicured Floratam St. Augustine grass.  "You're weeding" you say.  Actually, I'm constructing thoughts that will eventually end up in your email box! 

 

Here's a sub-point to this:  everything counts.  One of the things that truly annoys me is television.  Now I'm not gonna say I don't watch it - 'cause I do.  Man vs. Wild, The Office, Friday Night Lights (and of course all Gator football) provide great entertainment that the hot brunette and I enjoy on occasion.  But if I truly believe in my dreams, would I sit for hours watching reality TV?  There's such hopelessness to me in that.  Since I believe in my dreams, I spend time, albeit sometimes feebly, cultivating those skills and that knowledge that will bring me closer to my dreams.  The point is, I must water my seed.  Daily.

 

My dream has a deadline.  On the Oprah Winfrey show in 1997, Jim Carrey told this story.  "I wrote myself a check for ten million dollars for acting services rendered and dated it Thanksgiving 1995. I put it in my wallet and it deteriorated. And then, just before Thanksgiving 1995, I found out I was going to make ten million dollars for Dumb & Dumber. I put that check in the casket with my father because it was our dream together."  While that kind of story is incredibly rare, it delivers a point.  If I don't have a time line, am I really serious about my dream?

 

Stay tuned for part 3.  Thanks for reading and dreaming.

Dream

A mundane constellation of life events, formed into a cerebral masterpiece for me today.  So I have to share it with you.  You think I'm whacked already don't you?  Read the whole thing - there's a message for all of us here.

 

I had a meeting Saturday morning with the small groups ministry pastor, Sean, from my church.  He's the guy charged with the goal of having 1 small group for every 10 members.  And he's doing well with that charge.  He wanted to meet with me to discuss 10:10 Wellness.  You're very familiar with the concept since I've been pounding your email boxes for years with it.  However, in this context 10:10 Wellness is now a small group where we meet at a park on Saturday mornings to share a workout.

 

You might say Sean stopped by to plant a seed.  He thinks the program could and should expand to include co-leaders who would be responsible for groups within the group.  No need to bog you down with the details, but it was very cool and affirming to hear Sean cast a vision for how the ministry aspect of 10:10 Wellness could progress. 

 

Then I went to 6:30 church Saturday night.  Gotta love that Saturday worship thing.  Makes Sunday completely different.  I had a bit of time before leaving for church so I flipped up the Death Star (laptop).  I don't remember exactly what I was reading except that I was just about to check out Alex Green's "Spiritual Wealth" when I realized I had to go.

 

At Bayside my pastor Randy delivered a message called "The Making of Greatness".  You can download and listen to it when it's posted in a day or two.  If we're wanting to live a life of greatness, he challenged us to replace convenience with commitment.  Convenience is coasting - or at least not getting out of 2nd gear.  It becomes comfortable.

 

Commitment is anything but convenient.  Randy used the story from Matthew where Jesus said to some guys fishing in a lake "Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men".  The men responded by leaving their nets (careers) and they followed him.  Was it convenient to change the course of their lives?  Hardly.  Did they achieve greatness?  We're still talking about them aren't we?

 

Randy went on to challenge us to live in faith, not fear and to believe you can be great.  It was a phenomenal message that spoke to my heart - the kind of sermon where I felt he was speaking directly to me.  And most importantly it was the kind of message that left me, an ordinary slacker, believing I could achieve greatness.  That's really what the Bible's all about - ordinary people doing extraordinary things - when they rely on God's power.

 

I kinda rushed home from church 'cause there was a movie I wanted to watch on TNT:  The Pursuit of Happyness.  Holy crap, was that a story of hope or what?!  I saw it when it was first released on DVD, but's it's the kind of movie that I like to revisit on occasion.  In one scene the lead character, Chris Gardner (played by Will Smith), delivers a message to his 5 year old son. 

 

"Don't let anyone tell you you can't do something.  Not even me.  If you want something, you gotta go for it".  Chris and his son Christopher endured some amazing trials that included homelessness before he settled into a successful career in finance.  The story is a dream come true.

 

If the meeting, church, and a movie of hope weren't enough, there's one more planet to add to my constellation.  Literally.  Venus I think it is.  When I fetch the paper in the morning, I'm often greeted by a star filled sky.  Like today.  Ordinarily on Sunday, I'd move right along with coffee, reading, elimination, and a 7am rendezvous with my running partner George.  But George is nursing a bum knee - so I had some time; and that sermon and movie really had me thinking.

 

So I did something I've never done before.  I sat on my front porch swing, sipped my coffee, and stared at the sky.  It's a wonder isn't it - so many stars?  The Big Dipper and Orion's Belt are the only one's I can name.  But there was another star that was brighter than all the rest that I believe is Venus - doesn't matter.  When the sun began to rise all the other stars began to disappear.  Not this one.  She was still bright and visible.

 

I had now finished my coffee and was ready to move along, but that one star begged me to stay.  When all the other stars had faded this one remained.  I wasn't going to leave until after my star did.  By 7:30 it was just a faint spot that only I could see.  If I told you where it was, and you looked into the sky, you wouldn't have found it.  At 7:34 is was gone.  It occurred to me that that star was like my dream.  Now, every morning when I gaze into the stars, I'll see my dream.

 

So where am I going with all this?  Dream.  It's ok.  I do.  Drives the hot brunette crazy sometimes.  It's ok for a 15 year old to want to become an astronaut, but when a 45 year old expresses a desire to "achieve greatness", some think it odd.  It's not important what my "achieve greatness" looks like.  It's mine.  It provides hope and fuel and helps me avoid the feeling of "quiet desperation" to which so many middle agers succumb.  I pulled that expression from the Spiritual Wealth piece I just read - the one that was waiting for me when I fired up the computer today.  

 

Do you have a dream?  Is there something you want to accomplish during your holiday on earth?  I hope you'll pursue it.  The world will truly be a better place when you do.

What's Your Toehold?

Written in October '08, this one never made it to the blog.  The term came up yesterday, so I fished this one out of my deleted items folder.

What's Your Toehold?

I'm writing to those of you who've struggled to stay on an exercise program.  For the rest of you fitness aficionados who insist on reading to the end, you better forward this to someone you care enough about to help in their wellness journey.  And perhaps you can become a toehold for that person.
 
I'm referring to the climbing term.  From Wikipedia "a support for the toe of the foot, to aid ascent.  Metaphorically, any small step which allows one to move toward a greater goal ".  If you've ever rock climbed or even experienced the artificial rock climbing wall, you know what I'm talking about.  On a Colorado trip some years ago, my family and others took a trip with a climbing outfitter to a relatively small, beginner rock wall to climb.  We used ropes and carabiners and shouted commands like "on bolle" to our ground based guides who were holding the other end of our ropes.
 
From a distance, the wall looks completely flat, and the thought of climbing it by hand seems impossible.  However once you're close enough to touch it, you notice ever so many "handles" with which you can grab and start pulling yourself up.  The same is true for a climbing wall at the gym, which by the way is an incredible workout and the reason why professional rock climbers carry the smallest percentage of body fat of any athlete except bodybuilders.
 
You can grab those handles and pull yourself up relying on upper body strength, and in precarious climbing situations this is all you can do.  However, it's not until you establish a "toehold" that you can expect to make any significant progress.  The toehold doesn't have to be a ledge, it just has to be large enough for you to put your weight on it to give your arms a break.
 
Once established, your toehold enables you to relax and explore the wall for another handle, and ideally you'd identify a number of them and create a strategy for how you'll ascend.  Based on what the wall offers, you may have to go sideways or even down to find those handles that will lead you higher.
 
The same is true for our exercise.  If you find you're going weeks, months, or even years without exercise, I'm telling you to find a toehold.  Notice that the toehold on a rock wall doesn't move.  The toehold in your exercise program shouldn't move either.  While I'm out there virtually every day moving my body in some form of fitness play, I have a toehold - my Sunday morning run.
 
Because I'm home on 9 out of 10 Sunday mornings, I can put a run in here every time.  Even when I travel, I pack the running shoes.  And to make this habit even more rock solid, I have a running partner whose adopted the same deal.  There's plenty of occasions when I'm tempted to skip, and that's when I rely on the accountability of another.  "But that's the only morning I get to sleep in" is the most common whine I hear that applies to Saturday morning exercise too. 
 
Life's full of difficult choices isn't it?  I'd suggest if your most likely toehold is a Sunday morning, that you incorporate an earlier bedtime Saturday night.  But that's just me.  Experience has taught me that no program will endure that's propped up by willpower that includes sleep deprivation.  That's like rock climbing with only your hands.  Eventually, you're gonna drop off the wall.
 
So what's your toehold?  And as importantly when is it?  Is it your day off?  Could it be your lunch hour?  Can you think of someone who can join you?  Your probability of success skyrockets if you can.  Don't  be ashamed if your toehold is modest.  As long as you can maintain it, you can relax enough to scope the wall to see what your next move will be.  And know in advance that sometimes your climb will go sideways or down.  Just keep using those toeholds and feeling around for more handles. 

Anatomy of a dry spell - conclusion

Am I beating a dead horse here?  Hopefully you'll think not as I conclude this thought process with the solution.  If you read parts 1 and 2 you remember my writing dry spell.  This drought was a result of what I felt were setbacks to my mission and purpose and which rocked those beliefs that fuel my desire to write.

 

I write all this stuff and post it on a blog because I truly hope that someone will respond to it and perhaps change their course.  Many others have offered similar wisdom (cocky aren't I, calling my stuff wisdom), but receiving a message is pretty much a timing thing.  So what did I do to solve my deal?

 

First, I had to acknowledge that I was off track - accept the fact, as Zig Ziglar would say, that I had a case of "stinkin' thinkin".  I had to admit that I had a bad attitude.  For a wellness guy, with a career in sales, who's always expected to carry a great attitude, that's a challenge.  People in my position can become professional cover-up artists - and most people can see right through that.  It's about as simple as a person admitting they're an alcoholic, i.e., it ain't simple. 

 

Second, after admitting to myself that I was in a funk, I had to find the source.  Like a doctor examining symptoms from a patient, I had to diagnose what was creating those symptoms.  This can be easy.  This can be hard.  Or sometimes this can only be accomplished by someone with the appropriate skills - a counselor, therapist, psychologist, etc.  In my situation I was able to self-diagnose the problem with some quiet thought time - a luxury that many of us struggle to acquire.  I'll be the first to admit that I'd have a real problem involving an expert to help me with any mental struggles.  That's a pride flaw of mine for sure.

 

Since I already wrote that I discovered the source of my disturbance, what did I do next?  Because I truly didn't want to remain in this state, and because I had the desire to change, I faked it.  Huh?  Yeah, that's right, I deliberately thought good thoughts.  However because I went through steps 1 and 2, those thoughts now had a fertile soil in which to grow.

 

Faking a good attitude when I truly don't believe in myself or my situation results in the "hypocritism" mentioned in step 1 .  BTW, I don't think that's a word - but it should be.

 

I'll close with two lines from John Maxwell's book, The Difference Maker.  A good Chinese proverb:  "Assume a cheerfulness you do not feel, and shortly you feel the cheerfulness you assumed".  Or as editor and publisher Elbert Hubbard says, "Be pleasant until 10 a.m. and the rest of the day will take care of itself". 

Anatomy of a dry spell - Part 2

If you read the first part, you recall that I went through a period where I wasn't writing creatively.  To me that means crafting something out of nothing as opposed to writing that's more like reporting.  I hope that makes sense.  It just occurred to me that we can spend our lives in the same way.  I can choose to "think" to help direct and create my desired life, or I can just go through the motions and respond to all that life throws at me.  Isn't that what separates man from animals?  One of my "good" beliefs is that I have the power to choose which path I take.

 

You may also recall that I wrote that I'm most fulfilled when I'm accomplishing stuff that's consistent with my purpose.  A bunch of years ago I followed the advice of a motivational guru and committed my purpose to paper.  As a disclaimer here, please know that absolutely nothing I create or advise here is original.  Everything that pours out of me was originally poured into me by another.  That's another of my good beliefs, and the reason I avoid so much of the crap on TV.

 

So I did the exercise at the end of a chapter and wrote what I felt was my purpose:  lead people into healthy lifestyles and activities they can get excited about.  I believe we should all go through this exercise, committing our purpose to paper that is, but let's save that for another time.  Though my purpose can change, I'm still so far away from achieving it that to change would be to quit.  This purpose has now become one of my beliefs.

 

To use some of the descriptions mentioned in part 1, this belief is a foundation, a path, and fuel for my life.  As long as I maintain this belief, I'll think the right thoughts and take the right actions.  What happens when I start doubting this belief?  This is exactly what happened to me and was the cause of my dry spell.

 

No need to share the gory details, but I had a setback with my 10:10 Wellness mission.  One of my strategies to accomplish the mission wasn't working.  Being the positive thinker I am, I ignored that reality and pressed on with my original strategy.  And I continued to fail.  An objective outside source would've been able to observe my strategy and results and conclude that a new strategy was in order.  He or she wouldn't advise me to abort the mission.  They'd analyze what wasn't working, and they'd devise a new plan.

 

Reminds me of an old and valuable lesson that I've chosen to accept.  We don't produce success or failure, we produce results.  Our minds then attach the label.  Tony Robbins taught me that a long time ago.  Too bad he wasn't around when I was floundering.

 

My little brain took the leap that the ineffectiveness of one of my 10:10 strategies was failure.  Because I have lots of other responsibilities and commitments besides 10:10 Wellness, no one would've noticed that the flame of one of my passions was nearly snuffed.  I was still working and still playing but something was missing.  The birds stopped asking me to take their picture.  The colors weren't as brilliant in the morning sky. 

 

If you had asked how I was doing, I'd tell you "I'm good".  And I was.  Fine that is.   Funny, one of the songs I chose to use in my 10:10 Wellness opportunity video is "More Than Fine" by  Switchfoot.  "More than fine, more than bent on getting by.  More than fine, more than just ok.  When I'm wet with the sunshine - I want more than just a good time..."

 

The good news is that I finally "snapped out of it" and realized I had a case of stinkin' thinkin'.  I'll tell you how that happened next time.  Thanks for checkin' in.

Anatomy of a dry spell

This one's a little different - even for me.  I mostly write/blog about some of the fun stuff I or we have done, and I share some lesson that the experience taught us.  That's a good blueprint.  And you'd think that as long as we're doing fun stuff, the lessons would continue to flow. 

 

You probably didn't notice, but I haven't created any "creative" content since May 19 when I wrote about the exercise dilemma that one of my friends is facing.  I definitely had a dry spell.  The juices weren't flowing, and after a couple of weeks of this I realized something was wrong.  Ordinarily, I can't help but write.  Writing topics pop fast and furious into my exercise stimulated brain.  Thankfully for you most of these ideas are discarded, or you'd really think I'm a nut case.

 

The good news for me and for those of you who are kind enough to tune into my thoughts on occasion is that the dry spell ended - the idea factory started production again.  So abrupt was this return of mental output that it caused me to notice.  And wonder.  What happened?

 

I don't want this to read like me examining my belly button; but I do want it to read like the blueprint I mentioned.  A little post-mortem mental autopsy revealed a definite "cause of death".  Hopefully these reflections will be of use for those of you who've had a case of the "blahs" or worse.

 

I've accepted something about myself that may seem curious to many.  I'm a high achiever.  Before you race to the delete button because you don't want to listen to the kook brag about himself, please let me unpack that - especially because I believe we're all high achievers in one thing or another.  What I've come to learn about myself after years of contemplation is that I'm happiest and most fulfilled when I'm doing something.  And to be more specific, I'm happiest when I'm accomplishing something.

 

As you would expect, the accomplishment thing isn't random.  Pulling weeds from my yard, while necessary and productive, doesn't produce a feeling of fulfillment.  On the contrary, I often grovel at these kinds of chores, and I experience anxiety when doing them because they pull me away from what I feel called to do.  But when my actions and accomplishments are aligned with what I feel is my purpose, I'm energized.  Check that, I'm freakin' coming outta my skin on fire when that happens! 

 

Conversely, if my actions aren't consistent with or contributing to my purpose, then I feel like a slug.  No news here.  So back to my dry spell.  I wasn't creatively writing.  You could say I wasn't taking any action.  Well, what precedes action?  Thinking.  I wasn't thinking about or noticing those instructive experiences that often make for decent reading.  If I continue on this progression, peeling the layers of the onion so to speak, the next question to ask myself is "why wasn't I thinking or noticing those experiences?"

 

It's not like the world stopped.  The roseate spoonbills (I like to call them pink birds) were still doing their bird best in the park.  God was still artfully creating spectacular sunrises and sunsets for me to experience.  The mommy and daddy cardinals were truly showing off in my backyard (ok, I did notice these guys, but I'll save that for another time).  Life, in all its splendor, was blooming all around me, but I didn't much care.

 

After thinking about my thinking, I was able follow this textbook progression to the next milestone.  Besides what we may experience and notice in our environment, what is it that feeds our thinking?  Good or bad, right or wrong?  Give up?

 

It's our beliefs.  It hit me like a ton-o-bricks.  I've read and listened to many great thinkers and writers who've taught me the value of our beliefs.  And value is too light of a word to describe the power our beliefs have on us, or me anyway.  There're a lot of words that have been used to describe the effect of our beliefs.  Anchor, prison, distraction, barrier, curse, wall, ceiling, locked door, mountain, cliff, chasm.  Those are some of the "bad" descriptions - the limiting beliefs.

 

How 'bout the "good" words?  I can say that some of my beliefs are like power, fuel, fire, jet engines, and turbo chargers.  My beliefs can be a rock, foundation, fortress, or refuge.  When planning, my beliefs can be a map, compass, milestone, marker, or path.  In matters of execution my beliefs can be a tool, sword, doorway, or support.

 

The point is if you truly believe something your actions will reflect that.  Good or bad.  If you were absolutely convinced that the world would become flooded wouldn't you start building an arc like Noah?  And if you were so completely convinced and believing, wouldn't you be able to ignore or deflect the criticism of others?  I know I do.  The hot brunette refers to this predisposition of mine as "Chris's World" where my thoughts and actions sometimes seem to disconnect with reality.  It's a happy place for me really.

 

Earl Nightingale, the father of the spoken word record used to say "what the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve".  In the gospel of Matthew Jesus told his disciples "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer".  I'm sure all the religions of this world note the power of belief.

 

So back to my writing dry spell.  Was there something about my beliefs that caused it?  You're darned tootin' there was.

 

And oh my gosh look at the time.  You and I need to get back to work, play, or sleep.  Check back next week if you want to hear how I solved my case of writer's cramp.

8 Weeks to a Sprint Triathlon Bribe

It's that time of year again when I try to trap, I mean coax, some of you to do your first triathlon. Here's a few reasons:

1. Triathlon is a wellness sport (easy on the body).

2. A "sprint" tri is achievable within 8 weeks for 8 out of 10 people.*

3. I don't like racing alone.

4. In 2 months you'll be able to say "I'm a triathlete"

5. Free Monkeys!

The absolute best first triathlon venue in the Tampa Bay area is the Top Gun race on Saturday August 1, 2009 at the Ft. DeSoto park. The water's warm, the park is spectacular, and I'll be there. And it just so happens that the race is about 8 weeks away.

So here's this year's bribe. If you complete Top Gun, or any other triathlon, and it's truly your first tri, submit to me a race photo** and a link to your race results, and I'll send you a case of Monkeys. That's a $68.00 bribe!

You'll find the Top Gun registration as well as trifind.com (to locate a race near you) at our "What's Happening" page. There's on-line training resources at our triathlon resource page. And then there's me or other tri-addicts who would be stoked to provide encouragement, training, and tips for your first tri.

You can do this! Make a decision now. Remember, not making a decision, is making a decision. If you can't say "yes, I'll do it" right this moment, at least forward this message to another potential first timer and utilize the power (or guilt) of peer pressure. Be an instigator!

• this statistic was pulled from the rear end of an often delusional writer

** all photos submitted for this promotion become the property of Homemade Fitness, Inc. (you know, that "tiny corporation") and can be utilized on said company's website for promotional, entertainment, or embarrassment purposes

3 First Timers and an Instigator at Top Gun 2008

Are you in?

The Dimitri Dilemma

Last week I had the pleasure of going on the road with my friend and ex-business partner Dimitri. The occasion was work in the Florida Keys - and yes, we do actually work down there. We call on many of the same customers, so we've become accustomed to carpooling to save a few bucks and enjoy each other's company.

While driving south on the turnpike, west of Miami, Dimitri expressed his discontent with his growing mid-section. As you can see from some pictures below, he's still in good shape. However, he's aware of a trend that has begun, namely adding a pound or two a year mostly around the middle. Recently turning 40, he'd prefer to be 20 lbs lighter. He and I have had this discussion before.

"How do I get myself back in shape?" he asks. I used to suggest he try some running, cycling, and weightlifting. He doesn't like those things. You see, Dimitri's a board sport guy. He loves to surf, kite board, and occasionally snowboard. And he's very good at these things. But because he doesn't have large amounts of time to pursue these activities, combined with the fickleness of mother nature, it's challenging for a hardworking dad (he and Iske have a 22 month old girl) to maintain fitness on these activities. Fortunately, he mostly follows a very healthy Greek/Mediterranean diet (not from any book but from upbringing). But it's pretty hard, impossible actually, to maintain your fighting weight if there's no training in the picture.

Which brings me to point #1. The absolute best way to gain fitness and maintain your ideal weight is through exercise. Check that - the only way to gain fitness and maintain your ideal weight is through exercise. Yes diet is important, but diet alone won't get you there. As a sub point, the only way (ONLY WAY) to change your metabolism is through exercise. Ridiculously simple points, or laws if you will, but I find it amazing how many of us expect results while ignoring these truths.

So what's a guy like Dimitri to do? Well at least when he's with me in Key West, he has the opportunity to do the "10:10 Anywhere Workout". I've mentioned before this calisthenics routine I created in response to some of my hotel stays. But rather than exercising in a boring hotel room, we take it to Smathers Beach on the east side of the island.

I parked at the beach access point where a small pavilion awaits us. Do you notice something unusual about the parking meter here? This kinda stuff happens to me all the time. Seriously.

At the pavilion we start exercising from the bottom up in complimentary movements. Toe raise/calf raise. Squat/lunge. All the way up to push-up/pull-up.

Here's our view from the pavilion. Notice the "campers"?

Here we improvise with a coconut tree.

As I've said, it's a great workout, and someday I'll create a mini-book on it. But it's not my point. The point is I have a very athletic fit friend who doesn't like exercise. And because he's well into a career and family, it's starting to show. And he doesn't like it.

Tony Robbins tells us that we're all motivated by the pursuit of pleasure or the avoidance of pain. Has Dimitri reached a point where the pain of knowing he's not in his best shape outweighs his pleasure of not exercising?

I have no clue. I hate to say it, but I'm not encouraged by his prospects until he finds some kind of physical activity that he'll do and enjoy and that's not controlled by wind and waves.. He has a friend named George who's a personal trainer. He called him on our way back and George is gonna come by and hopefully get Dimitri going on a program he'll follow.

If he's unable to find an exercise routine, like many, he'll eventually get fed up and go on a deprivation diet to lose the 20 lbs. Then he'll go back to the old routine of eating and not exercising and adding 1 or 2 pounds (of fat) each year. Certainly, there are worse things than the dieting yo-yo that can happen to a person - but this is clearly not what I'd call 10:10 abundance.

I have a neighbor who experienced the pain of not being in shape - he had a heart attack. Thankfully, as heart attacks go, it was minor, and he didn't experience any significant heart muscle damage. But it sure woke him up. This scare made the pain of avoiding certain unhealthy foods and activities (smoking) quite easy. As much as I tried to get him on a regular exercise routine before the heart attack, he still hasn't made any new fitness habits after this episode.

Dimitri, my neighbor, you, and I all live in a world of laws. Like the law of gravity that says you're gonna look like a pear after adding too much blubber. Or the law of attraction that says those cookies you've been craving will end up in your belly. The most elemental of those is the law of cause and effect. Exercise and good eating (cause) result in abundant energy and health (effect). Who are we to think we can ignore this law? But we do don't we?

If we complain that we're overweight, get sick all the time, are lacking in energy, etc. but don't exercise and eat well, aren't we ignoring one of nature's greatest laws? The degree to which we choose to ignore this law as it pertains to our health will determine our lack of good health. Garbage in - garbage out as the saying goes. Here's another preaching point: everything counts and it's all cumulative. Remember that the next time you're presented with a decision of health and wellness.

"Dude, are you lecturing me?" you ask. I'm lecturing you and me. And I'm trying to address, as frankly as possible, the dilemma many of us face.

I have good news though. It's another law. This one comes from Sir Isaac Newton and his laws of motion. It's called the law of inertia and it has two parts. The first part says "a body that is not moving will not move until a net force acts upon it". Kinda speaks to the dilemma thing doesn't it?

The second part says "a body in motion tends to remain in motion until acted upon by an outside force". That's the good news! Once you get your body moving, it'll stay moving. We just have to avoid all those outside forces that would create excess friction to slow us down.

So the answer to our dilemma is to find a "net force" that will get your body moving. Preferably that force would come in the form of a workout partner, a trainer, or me vs. your doctor. Together you (we) will get your body in motion. Then you can begin to enjoy the fruits of that first law I mentioned - cause and effect.

So simple, yet so hard.

Here's my last point. You have to be the cause. You have to make the phone call, send the email, or reply to the blog. You have to join the gym, join the club, or sign up for the race. You have to say no to the poor food choices and yes to the good ones. Start putting the laws of the universe to work for you, not against you.

Check out IronMakeover

I discovered someone who promotes the sport of triathlon like I do. Only better!

Sara Cox Landolt is an Ironman triathlete who swatted away the usual excuses in pursuit of her goal. She blogs about all the topics that newbies encounter. She's a great encourager and instigator.

So all my girl friends out there that have thought about tri-ing should check out:

IronMakeover

And one of her posts: 45+ Excuses Why Not...& Why You Can