You’re more than one good story

“How long are you going to ride the wave of who you used to be?”

words that may strike a cord.

It’ funny how long we hold on to things that don’t serve us any real use anymore because of what they once did for us. 

None more so than our old identity and achievements.

I’ve certainly done this 

That reminiscence of ‘once I did…” that brings a smile but is little more than a story we’ve told countless times to anyone that will listen so we can feel a little importance for a moment.

Are we really so egotistically fragile as a species that without constant external validation we’d crumble to dust and be blown away 

Funny to think after we take a long look at ourselves to really see what’s there and why we do, say and act as we do it’s for little more reason than to have people that don’t really matter (or care) acknowledge us for a second or two. 

Here’s a question worth asking – 

“What have I achieved recently?”

Have you hit new heights in your sport, training, health, life or way of being?

Or are you still pretty much in the same place you were 10 years ago because that thing you did back then still gets enough of a scrap of attention/validation to satiate the need 

It’s really quite funny.

Much like the story War-Machine shares in the avengers age of Ultron that gets a pity smile from Stark & Thor. 

I still find myself now referring to ‘old lifts’ when people ask, as if it means something 

Yet in truth the strength that was there just isn’t any more.

True enough we will always be some what proud of what we did once in the corner of a gym with one or two people to witness if we were lucky, and keeping this memory alive can remind us that we’re capable of actually doing something when we have a clear need to do it. 

But beyond keeping these things to ourselves as a reminder that we CAN do the things we focus on 

What good is sharing PB’s from 10+ years ago?

How long can one relive/share the same old story before it just becomes a sad attempt to still be considered relevant 

What can we do right now?

Is there something we’re able to show today that we couldn’t do before and be proud of?

Isn’t that a better way be within our own minds, in the now as opposed to living in a time that probably won’t happen again 

Just some thoughts worth considering.

And on that note I’d like to ask, what have you achieved within the last say 6months that you are proud of (PB etc)

Share what you know you can do now and why it matters to you.

I look forward to reading your answers.
Ross

5 ways you self sabotage

(4 you know about and 1 you don’t)

Have you ever sat and had this thought creep up on you – 

“Why did I do that?”

In some cases it might be along the lines of self loathing/pity where the notion of ‘why an I like this’ creeps in.

And don’t think you’re alone when this happens, you’re not. 

More people than you realise come to these walls and sadly don’t choose to do anything about them.

Here’s the 5 most common ways I’ve come across that people sabotage themselves

(not just in fitness but life too)

• Eating (or drinking)something they know will have them feel bad after the fact 
• Putting themselves in situations they know have them make poor choices (peer pressure)
• Keeping poor company out of habit/familiarity that hold them back
• Avoiding doing something they ought to with the excuse of ‘no time’ or ‘just too tired’
• Reverting to old coping mechanisms to reduce stress because of a ‘F**K IT’ moment 

Now the first four ways people self sabotage are the ones the majority are aware of.

The last one you are perhaps not as aware of.

But they all link together through the same root. 

When it comes to people eating or drinking things that they know will derail their momentum because they’re not able to have just ‘one’ then stop, and end up hitting 4 bottles of wine, 6 gins a kebab with extra salad (you know, for the vitamins) and something sweet because they might as well make it worth it now they’ve fallen off the wagon. 

That’s the key element that keeps people stuck, those last 4 words. 

Fallen off the wagon.

What comes next is the underlying mechanism and driver of self sabotage.

Many see this as what has happened if they have one unplanned drink or edible that makes them feel guilty/ashamed, so to make it worth, and by this they mean the weight/feeling of guilt/shame, that’s what they’re trying to make worth it. 

People will feel much better with their guilt/shame if they go absolutely nuts with poor choices.

At least they now can warrant feeling as they do because of all the good moments (dopamine hits) they got from eating/drinking in excess. 

This is relevant to those that put themselves in situations they know will make them crack. 

The peer pressure gets to them and once they ‘give in’ everyone cheers and rejoices they’ve allowed themselves to have fun and enjoy life once again. 

Don’t be fooled, they’re not celebrating your choice….

They’re celebrating their victory in dragging another crab that was about to escape the bucket back down because they people in the situations you know you ought to avoid see you’re climbing the ladder towards a better you, and they don’t like it because of how it makes them feel. 

Guilty and ashamed of the way they are (a lesser version of themselves).

So what do they do? 

They drag you back down into the bucket with them because misery loves company.

This also stands for the excuse of time/tiredness because you know there are people you can say this to that will give you the answer you want to hear, which is something like this:

“It’s okay. You’ve been doing so much. No wonder you’re tired. Not doing XYZ is for the best for now.”

Essentially they keep you in old patterns/habits by telling you what you want to hear, even though you know deep down it’s bullshit, which is why you always have that less than pleasant feeling in the pit of your stomach – you know your own bullshit and hate yourself for living in it’s lie.

Just FYI, this isn’t said with anything other than love.

You are worth love and being told the truth because that is what you do when you have love for people. 

And while the truth isn’t always nice to hear, it is necessary for being able to break free of that which keeps you tethered in a place you don’t want to be.

This brings us to the real root of it all. 

Your coping mechanisms.

With self sabotage being one of the most nefarious ones you keep going back to. 

But have you every asked yourself why?

What does ruining yourself do for you?

Your self sabotage gives you something that you need, and knowing what it is will help you break free of its grasp.

While you might be getting something you feel you need, that doesn’t mean it’s good for you, it just means it what you know and are familiar with because even in suffering there is comforting familiarity & control. 

Yea, let that sink in for a second. 

Please know that you don’t have to keep recycling the above. 

You have a choice.

And accepting this will give you back the power you’ve been so willingly giving away.

With the power of choices comes the burden of knowing, responsibility and acceptance because the outcomes will be the result of your choice (like they always have been and always will be).

Start choosing what you know to be good and true. 

Put down the bullshit and become free of it. 

If you can do this your whole life will change in an instant, trust me. 

And if you need someone to listen while you process this, please reach out. 

Speak soon, 
Ross

A few life lessons from then

When I look back at the time I have spent training there are a few things I have done right, but even more that I’ve done wrong and I’ve learnt that failure teaches us far more than success ever will.

I’m going to share with you 8 Lessons that I’ve learnt that will hopefully serve of some use to you, if you have yet to learn these lessons that is.

1 – Only Care About What Those Closest To You Think.

We all want to impress and astound people with our achievements and be given some gratification or recognition but it’s not from who we might think. They say you should never meet your heroes and it’s very true.

Often times we look up and aspire to several different people and imagine how great it would be to have their approval, but is that really what matters? Or is it the idea of their approval that makes it all the more enticing? Either way, your heroes are rarely if ever who you thoughts they would be. Instead why not look closer to home and find encouragement and praise from those who actually mean something to you, rather than just another idol sat on a pedestal.

It might sound strange but you will find this far more empowering because it’s personal and not anecdotal.

2 – Be Willing To make A Sacrifice.

Comfort is something everyone enjoys. I am no exception to this as I’m sure you’re not and even though you will hear people say they enjoy a new challenge and hate the mundane monotony of daily life, how many of those same people have been saying that for countless years without action or even the slightest hint of intent.

Moving on to ‘bigger & better’ things is never what we think, well… at the start that is but once the dust has settled you can see clearly that it was worth it in the end, but that being the case, what holds people back?

Success often follows hardship and what precedes hardship is sacrifice and no one wants to give up what they’ve already got because they might not get it back. Quite the conundrum isn’t it. To move forwards we must let go of the rope we’re currently holding on to and everything that’s attached to it and this is very hard to do. Once you learn that not all sacrifice is bad you will no longer be held back by fear, thus allowing you to take that much needed step forwards, if you don’t you will look back and utter those oh so famous words “What if…” don’t be that person.

A little sacrifice goes a long way and in the end it’s almost always worth it.

3 – Tough It Out (Consistency).

Probably one that many of you will agree is very important in life, business and basically everything that actually means something, but how many of you are willing to dig deep and keep pressing on when times get hard? Not many would be my guess.

Consistency breeds results, there’s no doubt about it, but it’s when things get hard that 9/10 people will falter and give up. Be that on a diet, training program, business venture or even something as simple as maintaining a pot plant. We get caught up in wanting things too soon, or more accurately put giving up when things get hard, but if you have the consistency and drive to keep going through the struggles you will find the rewards most pleasing.

Sometimes it will get hard, suck it up and keep moving forwards, you’ll thank me in the end.

4 – Keeping A Diary.

Wait… Aren’t diaries for 13 year old school girls with a crush on the PE teacher?

No is the answer to that. A diary doesn’t have to be personal, it can be practical and that will mean it helps you spot winning trends, what works and a whole plethora of other things.

Keep a diary, you will find it much easier to create your own success if you keep a record of what worked and what didn’t, after all, we learn more from out failures than we do our successes.

5 – Learn From Failure.

How do you learn to ride a bike? By falling off, getting back on and trying again but this time you’re better prepared and one step closer to success,

I don’t know a single person alive who doesn’t hate failure. It’s not a nice feeling when you’ve put in hours of time and effort for there to be no reward, but that again is a part of life. If we succeeded all the time there would be no challenge, no reason to try new things, no purpose for anything.

Learning to fail is not what we are taught growing up and personally I think that’s a mistake. Especially in the modern world where in schools there is no longer 1st,2nd or 3rd and everyone gets a ‘medal of participation’… Seriously, what is all that about? This is setting people up for a rude awakening when they get in to the real world and discover that it’s a cruel and harsh place where people would willingly dance over their own grandmothers grave to get a promotion (yep, there are such people in the world).

If you learn to accept that failure is inevitable then you won’t be afraid of it. Failing isn’t as bad as you think, just like with most things it’s the thought of failure that is actually worse than failing. unless you fail at skydiving, that’s probably one thing you don’t ever want to fail at… EVER.

Use lesson number 4 and learn what your failures are, why they happened and how you can stop it happening again (in that particular situation that is), from your failure will be your success because you will be one step closer to your goal.

6 – Accept You’re Not Always Right & You Don’t Know It All.

A lesson in being humble.

You will get things wrong, pretty often in fact but don’t take it personally. instead see it as a chance to grow and become more than you were but smile in the knowledge that you will have lots more lessons t learn and become more than you are.

7 – Don’t Forget To Smile.

This might get you a free coffee, it worked for me the other day :).

Those are a few of the lessons that I’ve learn from my failures. In truth I could write a book but then that would let people know how many times I’ve failed and I do have an ego to protect after all.

Wait…

I said I had 8 lessons for you right?

The last one is the most important

8 – Keep Learning Everyday.

Enjoy each day and always try to learn something new everyday, it doesn’t matter what it is, where or who it’s from just learn something new.

I’ll even get you started.

Did you know that Charlie Chaplin once entered a contest for “Charlie Chaplin look-alikes” and he came in third.

Enjoy,
Ross

Do you ever think about how many times you’ve been wrong?

If you’ve honestly sat and thought about it there’s a high change the answer is – more often than not.

This isn’t something that sits comfortably with a lot of people.

From an evolutionary perspective being wrong on the days of old could literally mean death because all it’d take is eating a couple of berries that didn’t agree with you or a humble mister while crossing something and you were in deep trouble.

Unlike today where most illnesses, injury and issues can be taken care of, back then this wasn’t the case.

Our body, or rather our deeply rooted nervous system hasn’t quite caught up with modern life yet.

It still keeps us very safe with highly sensitive protection mechanisms and reflexes that stop us getting into any trouble. However this doesn’t mean its always useful because if the idea of being wrong holds you back because it has you think there’s a boogyman hiding in the dark when there isn’t then you’ll not get very far in life.

Understand it’s okay to be wrong.

Especially in the wonderful world of health & fitness.

You might pick the wrong training program, the wrong nutritional approach, the wrong gym, the wrong coach.

In fact you might just be wrong in regards to all you think you know about health & fitness.

But that’s not the issue.

The issue is your ego and bodies desire for self preservation as these want to feel they’re in total and complete control of any/everything possible, and one of these elements is being ‘right’ just for the sake of being right.

Now before you start defending yourself take a moment and breathe.

What I’m saying above is true for the majority of people, although I’d even go as far as to say ALL PEOPLE at one point in their lives journey because no one is beyond reproach in this material realm.

Accept that we would rather lie to ourselves and find any which way we can be ‘right’ than face the fact that we got something wrong – I know this because of living this ironic truth.

This isn’t what some will call ‘my truth’ by the way, it’s the truth.

We all get things wrong and the sooner we can accept this is just something we will do the sooner we can learn from what we get wrong and move forwards with life unbound by the fear of looking stupid. foolish, or whatever you’re afraid of.

Accept you can be wrong (and probably are about a lot of things).

Start off by writing down 3 things you’ve been scared of admitting you were wrong about and what scares your about admitting it.

This will probably result in a short writer’s block but you know the answers, it’s merely the ego that’s stopping you. It’s okay, you’re safe, trust me and break free of this trap.

Much love
Ross

What keeps you stuck?

Is comfort, fear or perhaps the need to be right.

In my experience the answer is usually a combination of all three and linked to a deeply ingrained need to feel safe and survive and while this isn’t a bad thing it can lead to a lot of inner conflict.

We know that for the most part in this modern world we’re safe, but our body is slow to the party.

The years of evolution that created this fine organism known as the ‘human being’ is a little cautious and does all it can to ensure survival for the continued existence.

This can result in self sabotage and limitations being placed on yourself for no real tangible reason beyond what people will call is perhaps a gut feeling or intuition.

However gut feelings can be wrong, but to avoid this being the case people will go out of their way to create situations, circumstances and outcomes that fulfil that need.

Read that again.

You create the reality you’re experiencing because of your perhaps unknown need to right and not mistrust your gut feelings.

I’ve witnessed many an occasion where people said they knew something in their gut to be truth, but it wasn’t and as a result they made their own life a living hell just to convince themselves they were right and that’s a very sad existence to experience.

Although it’s also a very common one.

Ask yourself, what really stops you doing great things in this world.

Like what legitimately stops you, not just the BS of not having enough time, money or resources.

There’s people the world over and also spanning all recorded history that started out with less than nothing and created a life that would have the majority assume they started out half way there.

Not the case.

Most start out just like everyone else, with only that which they hold within.

The difference is how they choose to use what they have within and either break free of those things that roan’s real (like false feelings) and embrace this one truth – what they do is what matters.

So, what really, truly, holds you back?

I offend a lot of people, apparently

Fun fact – you’re responsible for your continued suffering in life. 

Apparently I offend/trigger a lot of people 

Who’d have thought it 

But one thing I noticed with all of the people that do get a bit pissy with my views is that they just go straight on the attack. 

Usually trying to defame, ridicule or shame me for them

Now I’ve always found that very ironic because these are supposed to be the ‘holier than thou’ folk that are all understanding and forgiving.

Yet they still get their knives out because their bias is showing. 

Believe it or not I’m not devoid of sympathy or empathy, although I have little time for modern excuses & BS.

Like I mentioned the other week that everyone seems to have ADHD or something mentally askew these days and that’s their excuse for their life being a mess 

Now this doesn’t mean a persons life hasn’t been hard or filled with sh*t, but there’s those that tackle it head on to overcome their own self and grow. 

However many more just become shrinking violets because society allows it due to their ‘trauma’ or whatever the next trending word will be to allow them to remove being responsible unto themselves.

People essentially need to stop being weak. 

Why would I say such a thing 

Because it’s the truth and despite all the exceptions people will come up with they just don’t make sense because unless you fall into one of these 3 very specific categories:

• You’re a child that hasn’t lived long enough to ‘know’ yet 
• You’re mentally/physically handicapped to the point of not being able to care for yourself 
• You’re literally held under lock and key, removed from the world because you stood int he wrong line while visiting Russia 

Beyond these elements where YOU have literally zero control or sway in your life, then there’s a high chance you’ve got access to various online info and knowledge to help yourself improve your life. 

It’s worth remembering I’m speaking about fitness here, because people get triggered and change the context because they want to be heard.

Yes life will cause our journey to take various twists and turns. 

It won’t all be smooth sailing, but in the grand scheme of things most of the folk reading this have autonomy over how the majority of things play out. 

Putting all the generic excuses aside, all that’s left is this very unwanted feeling for the majority – shame

Because in the end why it’s very much true that we might not be the reason up until this point our life has been a hot mess, once we become aware then we are the reason our life is a continued hot mess.

And you see that’s the key element no one talks about. 

Awareness 

We’ve all been ignorant and not known something, but once we are aware then anything negative that happens as a continued result of the actions we KNOW to be detrimental, well that’s on us. 

True enough what we do might be a coping mechanism, or whatever else people want to label it as, great, now that has been brought to the surface anyone stuck can start to understand WHY this was created to help them survive, feel safe and get them what they needed at the time they needed it. 

But….. this is where is all goes wrong. 

People only scratch the surface because they learn that with this new found excuse they can be devoid of responsibility and just blame something else. 

As I’ve just said above, what happened to you wasn’t your fault (probably), but it’s your responsibility to deal with it 

Now this isn’t fair, but it is the truth and you’ve got two options on how to utilise it:

• Seek help to grow and become stronger 
• Play victim and choose to stay weak 

Will this truth offend people 

100%, and here’s the funny thing. 

Many will think that I simply don’t care, and I’ve often said that too but that’s not the truth, I do care which is why I’ll say what is obvious because these days people are don’t care enough to do so. 

Why would I care about what others do?

I just do, that’s simply a part of who I am and it’s truly saddening to see people let themselves waste away in a self created hell when they’ve got so much more potential within them 

But, people can’t be saved by anyone other than themselves.

Christ only knows I’ve tried for people, yet in the end they’ll jump straight back in to what is familiar because they’d rather a suffering they know then take the risk for something potentially better that sits behind their fears. 

In the end it’s all about you.

So why wouldn’t you want what’s best for you

Maybe it’s time to put down your tactics of self-flagellation and decide to choose differently.

Just a thought.

Does the going to gym scare you?

Gym Anxiety, Let’s Crush It 

Fear of being watched in the gym can be a common source of anxiety for many individuals. 

The feeling that others are observing and judging your every move can be overwhelming, making it difficult to focus on your workout and achieve your fitness goals. However, there are strategies that can help you overcome this fear and regain confidence in the gym.

Here’s our top suggestions for you. 

The first effective way to beat the anxiety of being watched is to shift your focus inward. 

Instead of worrying about what others may be thinking about you, concentrate on your own workout. 

Remind yourself that you are at the gym to improve your health and mental well-being, and that everyone else is there for the same reason (chances are they may even feel as anxious as you do). 

By redirecting your attention to your own goals and progress, you can diminish the fear of being watched.

Our next helpful strategy is to familiarise yourself with the gym environment. 

Take the time to either explore the different areas and equipment yourself or book a gym induction with a PT, this will aid in allowing yourself to become comfortable with the surroundings. 

Knowing where everything is and how to use it can boost your confidence and make you feel more at ease. 

Additionally, consider attending group fitness classes or hiring the PT that did your induction. 

A forgotten consideration is to remind yourself that everyone has their own insecurities and concerns about the gym. 

While you may feel self-conscious, chances are that others in the gym are too focused on their own workouts to pay much attention to you. 

Remember that you are not alone in feeling anxious and that everyone is on their own fitness journey. 

Finally, consider adopting relaxation techniques to manage anxiety. 

Deep breathing exercises, meditation, or listening to calming music can help calm your nerves before and during your gym sessions. 

By learning to relax your mind and body, you can reduce the fear of being watched and enjoy your workouts more fully.

Fear of being watched in the gym is a common, but don’t let it deter your progress towards fitness goals. 

Focus inward, learn the layout of the gym environment, seek support from PT’s or even by attending group classes to make some new friends.  

Remember, the gym is a place for self-improvement, and everyone is there to focus on bettering themselves just like you.

Losing fat isn’t the hard part, it’s keeping it off that’s the struggle.

Temptation is around every corner and people are very quick to remind you that ‘life is for living’.

Although is it not odd that what people consider living to be the way of greed & gluttony?

Why can’t the opposite take the forefront whereby we champion daily movement, celebrate cooking nutritious meals and embrace in group gatherings with plenty of music and play?

I’ve noticed in my short and blinkered life thus far that we’re quick to take the easy route.

Human nature is one of survival and if we can do that will less effort we will, it just makes good sense.

But in a modern existence whereby we have a choice of how much fat-mass we do or don’t have there’s a few things to know.

• Change can’t be permanent if it’s not permanent.
• Nothing changes if nothing changes.
• Old fruitless choices don’t result in growing new outcomes.

Obvious as that sounds it makes the transition quite tough for people.

Many don’t want to give certain aspects of their life away, they want to hold on to them, which is fair enough.

But understand in doing that you’ll be made to pay a price for doing so.

That might be carrying 10lbs more body fat (weight) than you’d like, but that’s the price you’ll be asked to pay.

So when you make a choice be willing to pay any price asked.

Say you lost the fat you wanted by walking 30,000 steps a day (about 13 miles).

If you can sustain this as a habit then great, that’s the price you pay for the outcome you want.

But if you can’t and only find yourself being able to hit 15,000 steps daily you’ll need to make an adjustment to how many calories you consume.

This doesn’t necessarily mean eating less from a food volume standpoint, but it does mean the foods you do eat will need to come to a lower overall today daily kcal value.

So I’d ask you to take a moment and assess what it is you really want from your fitness journey.

Is it just to lose fat for a holiday, wedding or event and you don’t really care about putting it back on post?

If so then jump on a 60-90day fix, follow it to the letter because that’ll work (because they always do provided you apply yourself).

But if you’re looking for something a little more permanent then you need to sit down and revaluate what you CAN live without.

Say you currently drink a bottle of wine a night or have 3-4 beers a night (very common).

This rocks up the kcal massively, given wine is about 700kcal per bottle and 3 beers is roughly the same.

Do that most days with a little extra on weekends, you know, because you’ve had a hard week and need to wind down….

You’ll soon find yourself tipping the scales towards the side of heart disease and open the gates towards illness.

I’d rather not see this happen to you.

And reducing the amount you drink will have a massive impact on your health and body fat.

But you’ve got to be willing to change and sustain it without relapsing every week.

In the end it all starts and also ends with you.

To lose weight is easy, but to keep it off requires the acceptance that you need to change at a core level.

Once you accept that you’ll find life becomes a whole lot easier.

5 things people that struggle to lose weight have in common with Charlie & The Chocolate Factory 🍫

You’d best sit down if you’re easily triggered 😂

Although the similarities might not be what you expect.

You might think all 5 things are along the lines of….

Being obsessed with sweets 🍬

And while that might be the case in some instances, what I’m going to bring to the surface are a little more interesting. 

In fact it’s not Mr Wonka people are similar to.

It’s the children that won the golden tickets 🎟

First up – Augustus Gloop, The Glutton 

He found his ticket by eating A LOT of chocolate and even took a bite out of his own golden ticket.

This is the very real reflection of a lot of people…..

Their mind, body & soul have fallen to a cycle of mindless eating.

In the developed world we’re lucky to want for practically nothing.

Great as this is in one sense.

It’s a curse in another.

Gluttony was previously only reserved for the rich and the fatter you were = more prestigious.

These days it’s not only reserved for the rich, the poor are equally as likely to waddle as they walk because of highly calorific foods at super cheap prices. 

Easy access to excessive calories is one of the main reasons many struggle to shit excess fat. 

People can eat themselves to DEATH these days, a scary fact 🧐

Second – Veruca Salt, The Spoilt  

This little madame didn’t need to lift an entitled finger to find a golden ticket.

Instead her father got his workers to it because he couldn’t say no to his precious little princess.

Her attitude was born of getting everything she wanted. 

You could say she was the embodiment of greed…

It’s an attitude shared by a lot of people.

With one click buying, same day delivery, 24hr services it’s no surprise delayed gratification has gone the way of the dinosaur☠️

This is a key factor in why people struggle to shift excess fat. 

They just don’t have the mental fortitude to work & wait for it.

Third – Violet Beauregarde, The Tenacious  

No one likes a show off and this little glory seeker found her golden ticket by what many consider to be an admirable trait – tenacity.

She switched chewing gum for candy bars until she got her prize. 

Someone that focuses on their health & fitness with an energy like this can make a lot of progress.

If that isn’t the case though it can end up being a very destructive trait.

You might say it’s addiction disguised as aspiration.

One who has hyper focus can end up in a negative spiral if pointed in the wrong direction.

Picture this… 

The above is the high earner that devotes their life to work surviving off of coffee, rum and convenience foods because in their current eye good nutrition is nothing more than a nuisance.

If you see a little of yourself here then all you need is a little nudge in the right direction.

Fourth – Mike Teavee, The Know-it-all

Similarly to Violet, Mike had a trait that many respect. 

Being super intelligent he was able to cross references ticket numbers, dates and the weather allowing for the perfect prediction to be made so he only had to buy ONE Wonka Bar.

The issue comes in the form of this ilk always thinking they’re right.

It can lead to inaction because the don’t feel the need to go to others for help. 

Because of this ever advancing world there’s a lot of people like Mike these days.

Everyone has access to pretty much any amount of information they want and that is something potentially destructive itself because of the contradictory and confusing answer you’ll find from even the most specific of questions.

A lot of people get stuck in a digital hole, unsure of where to start. 

Despite all the good info that can aid in fat loss, when there’s too much people do use any of it. 

Finally – Charlie Bucket, The Hope 

The last ticket is found by luck and is the symbol that everyone still has a chance to change it all.

Coming from what is portrayed as very humble roots, this young man had nothing but dreams & hope.

Believe it or not this is the case for many. 

You’re probably one of them.

But you fail to take action….

Why?

What are you afraid of?

If it’s failure then that’s okay because we’re all scared of that to some degree but we mustn’t let it control all our actions.

Especially when it comes to health & fitness related goals 😍

But in the end, scared as this young man was.

He came out there other end and was rewarded well.

In the end if you could be one of the above, which one would you rather be?

The biggest mistake I made for at least 10 years, if not more

Lately I’ve been reflecting deeply on my life.

It’s occurred to me that there’s been one consistent issue that hasn’t been addressed.

Despite knowing it was there, the path of omission was chosen.

This wasn’t the way.

There’s a lot of talk about listening to your gut.

Intuition, as it were.

On my side of the fence I found that I stopped being honest with WHY I was training and what it was doing for me and the overall benefits that were sought.

Out simply these were my real driving factors – competency & respect.

In my mind there has always been a high link between what one can do and how much respect is given.

Growing up watching various martial arts films I saw what these physical specimens were capable of and found myself in awe.

I wanted to be like them because to me they walked the walk.

To me this was the way.

But….

Due to the modern world, and people slowly chipping away in the end I became lost.

The focus on living for others took over and it caused a lot of problems.

Not being true to myself was truly killing me and resulted in an empty husk fuelled by bitterness that viewed the world through jades eyes.

This came from a place I didn’t know existed within me, or rather had not admitted was there.

As times and landscapes changed people didn’t seem to repeat of value what I could do, they only cared if I was of use to them.

So this resulted in sacrificing what was valuable to me in an attempt to feel valued, respected and needed by other people.

This was a colossal mistake.

It lead down a very shadowy path that resulted in nothing good.

Being a mere human such a thing happening was inevitable.

Everyone loses their way but not everyone finds the path back.

I’ve seen so many continue to wander in the wrong direction, or at least towards very negative outcomes.

If you’re not sure if you’re on the right path then it’ll be worth asking yourself this question – why am I doing what I’m doing?

Don’t just answer arbitrarily.

Give it some deep thought, ideally in a place where you can be by yourself and surrounded by silence.

Take a notepad and pen with you.

Write down ALL of your answers because the more time you give yourself the deeper within you’ll go and find truth.

I will say it may not be that comfortable.

Your ego will resist.

No one wants to admit to not being authentic to who they are.

Presumptuous as this is for me to say, it’s often the case for the larger majority of people and if you find yourself experiencing a little fear and resistance when doing this then please keep going because you’re getting closer to truth.

It’s not going to be easy.

But it’s going to be worth it.