A Success Story

About a year ago, Carol Dawson walked through our doors here at Innovative Fitness. She had gone through a lot of adversity through out the last 10years and came to us (persuaded/accompanied with a close friend) to change her life. Eight months prior to her joining IF, she had had gastric bypass surgery, had knee pain due to her weight and her self confidence was the lowest it could get.

She was 370lbs when she walked through our doors and is now currently 294lbs. However, our (myself and a fellow coach Kevin) main objective was not about her constantly thinking about her weightloss. We wanted her to enjoy coming here to workout and have fun. We set her up on a program, persuaded her to come to her sessions half an hour early to do her own cardio and held her accountably and educated her on nutrition.

The friendship started right away with both Kevin and I. We each brought something different to her workouts and provided a proper but fun workout. She couldn’t do the “big destinations” like the hiking series or the 10km races, so we made a point of creating our own in “house challenges”. The look of determination and hard work that was on Carol’s face was rewarding after every challenge she accomplished.

Carol’s Challenges:
1. Getting on the Stairmaster and doing 10floors.
2. 2mile bike test
3. Kayaking – she never thought she would be able to get in a kayak again
4. Walking up 24th St.

and lastly

5. THE GROUSE GRIND.

Last Tuesday, Kevin, Carol and I accomplished this challenge. Carol’s family and friends thought she was crazy and was definitely not going to make it. However, Kevin and I believed in her. We trained for it, we came prepared, we kept her motivated the whole way up and we were 100% behind her every step of the way. She accomplished this goal in 1hr 42min, which is an amazing time! The smile and brightness in her eyes is something you can’t described. She was on top of the moon (or mountain) and ecstatic that she proved all her family and friends wrong that thought she couldn’t do it.

She is an amazing person and I am truly humbled to be able to be apart of her journey. Helping a person achieve something they thought was never possible and to be there when they do, is something everyone should experience.

Our Deepest Fear

What is your deepest fear?

We all have fears. Are you letting your fears hold you back from fully enjoying life, from getting what you want in life?

Ever since I heard it, I’ve loved “Our Deepest Fear.” It was presented as a short poem in the movie “Akeelah and the Beem,” and heard in the movie 'Coach Carter; however, it actually came from the book “A Return to Love,” by Marianne Williamson.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” –Marianne Williamson

Take a few minutes and think about it. What fears do you have? How are your fears impacting your life?

“Don’t fear failure so much that you refuse to try new things. The saddest summary of a life contains three descriptions: could have, might have, and should have.” — Louis E. Boone

Who sways your opinion??

Two stories have come across my proverbial desk in the past week that I would like to bring together for the sake of this blog. They are very different and seemingly unrelated but you'll see the correlation in a minute, be patient.

The first story is based on an argument as to whether those who have outstanding warrants for their arrest should be able to collect welfare. The argument for them being denied government aid is that they have committed crimes against their fellow citizens or the province they look to for support and are required to pay their debt to society, not add to societies debt.

The argument that speaks to them continuing to be the financial responsibility of the province (and tax payers) is such that if they do not have an income for food, shelter (hopefully), drugs and or alcohol they will steal (damaging cars/homes) and panhandle. They will cost society in an entirely different manner.

The second piece I read was an article from Time magazine entitled "Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin". The article summed up blames peoples inability to lose weight on the fact that when people work out they become ravenously hungry as a result and tend to overindulge in unhealthy treats and due to their misconception of calorie expenditure vs. caloric value of a Starbucks Old Fashioned Donut they typically negate their hard work, and thensome.

Quotes from the article include "In the past few years of obesity research show that the role of exercise in weight loss has been wildly overstated" and a "Prominent exercise researcher and Chair in Diabetes and Metabolism at Louisiana State University" says "In general, for weight loss, exercise is pretty useless." Nice.

What these two articles have in common is they provide the reader with an excuse. The first article tells the reader, (and the criminal) that criminals are just that. Rather than spend the money currently going into welfare into policing, the judicial system, rehabilitation, or community reparation programs it is easier to keep the status quo. The people spoken of in the article will also believe this because they are given little choice.

The second piece, when read by someone trying to decide between a gym membership or Weight Watchers, is incredibly irresponsible. It too provides an excuse for those trusting too much in what they read. Just as the criminal mentioned above continues to be kept down and forced to relive old patterns so to will be the misinformed dieter.

- Angela Tames

Change and Reinvention

"Be the change you want to see in the world." (Mahatma Ghandi, 1869-1948)

Change.

It's not something that comes easily to any of us - in fact, if you refer to the article "Change or Die", you can see that the odds any of us will make any sort of significant change, even facing death - is 9 to 1.

9 to 1!!! That's just over 10%... now, can you imagine trying to change the policies of an entire country?

Just ask Obama how that's going. Ironic, when you consider that he was elected on a platform of "Change". If you are that afraid of it, why would you vote for him?

Because change, when it's merely a concept is appealing - it offers hope. But the truth is, when you're faced with the actual, concrete reality... well, suddenly where you are seems much more appealing. Why put yourself out there, and take a risk - even if the reward is greater? Especially if you're more or less comfortable with how things are now?

I'll tell you why - change is necessary to evolve. Change is often reactive - meaning it happens as a result of current situations. However, if we (as societies AND as individuals) could only take a PROactive approach instead - can you imagine how much farther ahead we'd be? If we looked down the road at what was coming, and made the move in the right direction prior to being forced into it when the moment happens?

It starts with each of us - society itself is the combination of individuals. If you keep waiting for everyone else to begin to change before you do - then we are all going to continue on in a stagnant, slow moving river leading to mediocrity and oblivion.

Change.

Or die.

~Guy

in the land down under...

it has been a long road to get here with many road bumps along the way. training, surgery and work all take time when preparing for such a journey.
well, last week on aug18 we began took off...
the best beginning to share is the fact that we were upgraded to first class on our long 16hr flight over to Oz. seriously, we got on the plane and the three of us had our very own pod to call home for the time in the air. I have taken many plane rides and because of my size, getting comfortable is very difficult. we experienced 3 course meals and snacks between sleeping for over 11hrs...what if you could stretch out completely and watch a movie while drinking red wine and eating cheese...
once we arrived in sidney, we jumped on our connection to took off to cairns. matt, curtis and I were met by our 3 new ozzy friends (cam, mick and nelson) these guys are amazing and right from the start we knew we were in for a treat.
the first night was a night to get to know each other and lets just say that it was one to remember with us ripping up the night life in cairns and really getting down to business!

we actually time travelled to get here and we are still asking ourselves what time it is and what date it is at home..
be sure to check the innovative fitness facebook page for our daily updates, pictures and videos.

I would like to share a couple keys points..
-if you plan for something, anything is possible
-if you have the right people in place, even the hardest tasks are achievable and even fun
-if you stay positive, nothing can stand in your way

we are half way around the world doing something that nobody has ever tried...riding from cairns to melbourne in 8days with 5riders in hopes to raise awareness and funds for juvenile diabetes...we are surrounded by some of the most generous people we have ever met and having a ball...it's only the 4day of riding and this is shaping up to be high up on our list of best trips of all times...quite frankly, there's nothing stopping it from getting to number one.

really, it always comes back to team

ps - another special thanks to all those who made this possible from me to experience the best trip/ adventure/ journey/ road trip/ rv life/ ride of my life

best, richard

What 'Drives' You?

I was reading an article the other day in Reader’s Digest, and it was an interview with George Stroumboulopoulos – a Canadian television and radio personality, and best known as the host of CBC Television’s The Hour, a talk show about the world's current events. There was one question, and his answer in particular, that really resonated with me.

Reader’s Digest: What attractes you to a guest?

Stroumboulopoulos: I like honest people. And people who like to work. Creative, dedicated work-horses. Because I like it when it’s not a job, it’s a drive.

I interpret the ‘drive’ that he sepaks about as passion. I believe that success is the result of putting your heart, and mind into something to create meaningful work. A great ‘real time’ example of this comes from a conference that Malcom Gladwell gave in San Fransisco. He said that Bill Gates got up at 2:00am to program as a teenager, while the Beatles played together 1200 times, far more that most bands, before they ever got famous.

Think about it – you spend how many hours per day, per week, month, year at work? Life is too short to not love the work you do. Loving your job will go a long way to loving your life - so, take the time to find your passion. Everyone deserves the opportunity to live a life of fulfillment and happiness.

Red Bull Flugtag

Have you ever heard of this?? Well I certainly hadn't. I seems that all around the world, every year, regular people are encouraged to create a craft that is human powered with the hopes that if they launch it off a 6.7 meter high deck that it will fly. Most often what you see in this picture is the result, in fact you can watch the top ten disasterous attempts at http://www.redbullflugtag.ca/ and giggle at the attempts of various people from various countries all do the same thing with no success.

The reason I bring this up is simple. Events like this one, the cheese wheel rolling event witnessed recently in Whistler, and other silly organized good times people participate in all the time all around the world tells us something. People, no matter what their language, religious beliefs, race, all work hard, all have deep responsibilities and need to let off steam. Some do so with mates at a pub while others relax in a way that requires a costume but in the maylay of war, irresponsible government, parenting, natural disasters we need to remember that balance is part of what we facilitate. Work hard, play hard.


-Angela Tames

Who's To Blame?

There's a trend in our media that infuriates me - and it's when the complete misdirection of our society's moral compass is held up for us all to see. What am I talking about? Two examples come to mind - "Jon and Kate" and the "Octomom".

You see, while both of the parties involved in this example should certainly be ashamed of themselves, I believe that the responsibility for the progression and continuation of these tragedies is actually our fault. Not unlike the way traffic slows as people pass an accident, so the rubberneckers can feast their eyes on other's misery, we continue to make behaviour like these to examples demonstrate... profitable. And if it's profitable, then it will continue to be produced - that simple.

So - how can we change this?

This, then, is when the government should step in. Yes, it's a touchy subject - at what point does it become "Big Brother" or "1984", where a small minority decides what we should and shouldn't be watching - but I think that as soon as children are involved, it is the government's responsibility to step in and take care of them. Cancel "Jon and Kate" - remove the monetary value of the children and force Kate to be their mother not because she makes a dollar off of it, but because she's their mom. Take away the "celebrity" status from Jon, and maybe people will see him as he actually is - an overweight, balding man going through an early mid-life crisis. Maybe, just maybe - they'd step and and become parents to these poor kids. And don't even give the Octomom a chance - get her away from those kids as quickly as possible, and give them a chance to be raised properly by someone who doesn't just see dollar signs when they look at them.

I realize this is a simplification of something that needs a much deeper adjustment, but the worst thing we can do as individuals is sit back and let it happen.

Take a stand. Turn off the tv, and don't read the tabloids. Save your time and energy for people who deserve our attention because they've achieved something of note - and don't encourage the type of behaviour listed above by supplying an audience.

And stop staring at accidents as you drive by. You wouldn't want anyone looking in on your misery, you're slowing down traffic - and worst of all, you may cause an accident yourself.

~Guy

Today we get on the plane to Australia!

Another short story…
In Feb of 2009 Matt Young was approached by an investment banker out of the US to organize “an epic trip for he and his friends to accomplish”. The only criterion was it had to be something ‘big’, they would remember and have to train for. After ruling out the hardest hiking trail in the world (where 1 person dies each year by native tribes who have not yet been discovered) Matt asked Andrew’s thoughts on a bike ride in Australia. From here, the stage was set – let’s ride across Oz and... since our friends are riding across Canada at the same time, let’s ride for charity and make it internationalUnanimous “IN”. There were to be 16 riders; 8 from the US, 3 from Canada, and through the contact, a handful of Ozzzies on the ground making it happen. After all, how hard could it be to duplicate what had already been done in 07 and was being done again in 09 in our back yard? In February Australia was hit by the worse wildfires it has seen in decades, in March & April it was flooding and in May it was famine.... Jesus (literally). Needless to say the organizing group and general population in Oz was quite preoccupied so the call was made to shift from 1 million dollar fundraiser to ‘awareness campaign’. Then (in mid May) came the grand daddy of all natural disasters: contact with the JDRF charity in Oz who, after 3 conversations from Matt himself, 1 hostile conversation with the US investor and them contacting the Canadian JDRF to discuss Cyclebetes curiously never returned a call thereafter. The good news is that we have organized the coolest ride just about anywhere, the 8 American’s gradually recession-ed & injured themselves into 1 rider. Curtis & Matt & myself will be riding across our 2nd country and bringing a great deal of international exposure to the Canadian efforts. We have secured;
2 Australian actors to ride with
RV for $30 / day
free hotel in 2 provinces
1 free kick ass party at the end with a delegate from high up & free beer for 2 hrs to whomever comes and makes a donation
35k in cash sponsorship thus far and plan in swindling and whining our way into food donations gas
Our crew is 6 riders. Myself, Curtis, Matt, Andrew, Cameron & Steve and we are riding by day (not at night, except 2 provinces). We leave today (18th) and start riding on the 21st, finish on the 28th (latest) and plan on coming home and joining the Canadian team on the 13th as they pull into Victoria.... you know, for the glory ride. We’ll bring our Oz jerseys and try to make a story out of it!
Here is the Australian public service announcement for your viewing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tx4kayc9JlY
Less than one month ago, I asked for support in the form of 20-50$ to help pay for my flight overseas, the shipping of my bike and any minor costs associated with this adventure. I am quite pleased to inform you all that because of the support of some very special people, I have met and surpassed my target goal by a couple hundred dollars!
I am very appreciative of the kind words, notes and of course donations that have come my way.Special thanks go out to: Jane b
Lynn w
Darcie y
Deb a
Dianne w
Linda l
Joyce l
Terry s
Deb c
Wayne s
Jason s
Erika a
Johann b
Wendy c
Dave s
Keith d
Cal l
Chris z
Erin c
Ed a
Ernst s
Meyrick j
Michele r
Blair n

Your names are on my jersey and I will be thinking of each and every one of you during our ride…I will send my thoughts to you with the wind..
We return to Canada at the end of the month and will be back on the training floor September 1st. See you all soon..

Looking to follow along, check out our Innovative Fitness Face Book page for updates.
http://www.facebook.com/search/?q=innovative+fitness&init=quick#/innovativefitness?ref=search&sid=1203982534.261821772..1

Thanks again, wishing you all a great summer!
Best,
Richard

Canada Line

Today, is monumental day with the 2 billion dollar, 19km automated rail-based rapid transit service connecting Vancouver with Central Richmond and the Vancouver Airport - The Canada Line.

This will link growing residential, business, health care, educational and other centers in the region -- and adding transit capacity equivalent to 10 major road lanes. Tens of thousands of people are expected to turn out for the opening of the Canada Line.

Today Riders will be able to take a free ride between 1 p.m. and 9 p.m. PT on the new rapid transit line. There will be numerous of entertainers at the staions to create excitement for this grand opening.

This line is huge for Vancouver as it will enable us to travel to and from the downtown core to the surronding areas. As a destination based company, it will allows to travel to events and not worry about driving, car pooling and parking miles away from the race.

Some wise words from Richard Alm before he departed for his epic adventure to Australia - “Sometimes a destination can be right in your backyard, so you don’t have to fly half away around the world to do it.” He will be taking advantage of the Canada Line tomorrow as he takes it to the airport to leave for his trip.

Finding Your Voice

Lately, I have been struggling to find my leadership style or voice. I know what needs to be said, and can see what needs to be done, but I can’t seem to figure out how to deliver it.

To me, a person’s leadership voice is an authentically articulated point of view based on integrating their values, vision, and purpose. It originates in self-awareness; it develops and deepens when combined with meaningful behaviors and culminates in a lasting contribution and professional satisfaction.

To aid me on my journey of self-discovery, I have started reading articles on the topic of finding your leadership voice, and I came across a great one someone had written on the author Stephen R. Covey, and his book The 8th Habit. It started with,

‘When you engage in work that taps your talent and fuels your passion-that rises out of a great need in the world that you feel drawn by conscience to meet-therein lies your voice.’

He follows that up by saying that if you apply these four capacities - talent (discipline), passion (emotion), need (vision), and conscience (spirit-directed action) to any role or responsibility of your life, you can find your voice in that role, and I think that makes sense.

Now Covey, also guarantees that if you answer all four of the questions below in the affirmative, develop a plan of action and then go to work on it, you will begin to find your voice in life. I can’t guarantee that, but I will let you know what I discover…

(1) What need do I sense?
(2) Do I possess a true talent that, if disciplined and applied, can meet the need?
(3) Does the opportunity to meet the need tap into my passion?
(4) Does my conscience inspire me to become involved and take action?

Money Makes the World Go 'Round

Have you ever noticed that it's always something? Whether it's an oil change for your vehicle, the rising cost of gas, $40 to go and see a movie in a theatre, the exorbitant cost of dining out, not to mention rent/mortgage, taxes, groceries, back to school clothes, new runners, season appropriate clothing, insurance (house, life, auto), student loans, credit card debt, utilities, Internet, the computer on which to run the Internet, a yearly vacation, the list goes on and on...

For the most part, people are hardworking and generally want to please. Whether it's their spouse, boss, parents, children, peers and after all of that work and energy spent pleasing people tend to indulge in a little retail therapy. They figure the bills are paid (for the most part), so how about those new golf clubs, that night out on the town. The Jones' just bought a new car - they don't work any harder than I do!

That brings me to my next point. Now when we go to that movie we can't afford, paying for the $8 popcorn with our handy Visa card, we are inundated with advertisements. The first ten minutes in the darkened theatre are ads - "Save money on fuel - buy a Hybrid!", "Use a PC - only $600 compared to $900 for a Mac!" "Too busy at work to visit? Keep in touch with the new Blackberry Rocket!!"

I'm not blaming the media. I'm not blaming the economy for not keeping salaries on par with inflation. Or the people/decisions that started the ball rolling (think American mortgage crisis) but I find it interesting that after generations fighting for freedom from government interference it has been the Canadian Government stepping in to control credit card companies (it was recently mandated that said companies are not allowed to increase our spending limit without us as consumers asking for/ giving written permission to do so), manipulating interest rates, financially salvaging auto manufacturing companies (some would argue wrongly) to clean up the mess we couldn't help ourselves from creating.

Don't even get me started on the HST....

Integrity

"Firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values" - from Merriam-Webster

Would be nice if the provincial government could show a little more integrity, wouldn't it?

I'm speaking, of course, about the upcoming HST, or harmonized sales tax. For those who aren't aware of what I'm talking about - shame on you. Pay attention to your world, especially to things like this that can have such a monumental impact on your lives. I'm not going to spoonfeed this particular portion of the information, but I will say this - if you don't already own your home, if the HST comes in it will put all of your plans in serious jeopardy. Want to know why? Look into it...

However, I will also say this - it's not the addition of yet another tax that bothers me, per se. As the saying goes - the only two things in life which are guaranteed are death and taxes. I figure if it's not the HST, then they'll get us somewhere else.

No, what bothers me is the blatant arrogance of it's implemention. During the election, the Liberals were directly questioned on the possibility of bringing in the HST by parties concerned by the implementation of an HST in Ontario. This was their response:

"Such items that are currently PST-exempt include energy-efficient appliances, membership fees for clubs and gyms, newspapers and magazines, taxi fares, restaurant food and the professional services of architects and accountants. This is a major concern. The harmonized GST would make it harder for future provincial governments to lower or raise sales tax rates, which reduces flexibility. In short, a harmonized GST is not something that is contemplated in the B.C. Liberal platform."

Then, out of the blue - they try to slide in the HST with absolutely no public consultation. In fact - they announced it the same day that the Braidwood enquiry announced their findings on Tasers. Now, perhaps I'm being bit of a conspiracy theorist, but it seems interesting that they announced it quietly when a highly publicized enquiry announces their results, doesn't it?

The point being - it's not the inevitable addition of another tax, it's not even the harm it's going to do to sectors like real estate and restaurants... no, it's the fact that they said they were not going to do it, and were elected on this platform. Now, suddenly, with no consultation or explanation... they've changed their minds.

Let's take this lesson and implement it in our own leadership styles - a) don't promise something you're not going to follow through on, and b) if you're going to change directions, for whatever reason - be transparent about it. Don't try and pull a fast one on the people who you're leading, and who have their trust in you.

Just ask the BC Liberals how it's going for them.

~Guy

Put your heart into it…

When we love ourselves, we are then able to love another. Same is true about work. Oh god, did he really just write that? Yup, I did…

When we love what we do, we are able to sink in and work to our highest potential.

Look around and take a moment because watching and listening is a great way to communicate. Observation is key and as mentioned in my last blog, someone is always watching. So I invite you to take the time to watch for yourself. Check out the interaction you see on the floor…or if you’re a baker, check to see how your teammate is kneading that dough! Ones daily actions say a lot about someone and if you are tuned in, you may see a lot more than you think. Sure there are tricky people out there and those who practice deception…but I trust we have none of those within our groups…

Watch with amazement and observe patterns and examples of how people truly feel.

Are they being honest?

Are they being true to their word?

Are they enjoying what they are doing in the moment?

Or are they attempting to punch a time card because if that’s the case, we need to punch them right out (a little harsh, but the words just kinda flowed)

Back to the moral…

Put your heart into it. Ask yourself, ‘do I love what I am doing?’ and if the answer is yes then step in with both feet and if the answer is no, make a change. Now that’s not to say that one should switch gears completely, maybe there is something that can be done or altered in your current situation to change the way you feel…but that is up to you and to be honest, your heart will tell you…

Here’s the clincher, if you are able to be true to your heart, then the answer will be right in front of you!

I personally LOVE what I do and I may even go so far to say that it’s really obvious but we all have our ups and downs. It’s important to be consistent, but it’s also very important to…experience sadness to truly experience the latter…happiness ;)

Add this blog with last weeks and what do you have?

Drop a comment and let us read what you think…

An added bonus this week – we are 8days from leaving for Australia and all systems are a go, get ready for next week’s entry!

Giving Back

What I love about training and being involved in the health and fitness industry is the ability to give back to the ones that are close to you. I thrive on having the knowledge to advise my friends and family about their training game, certain injuries that they have and put to use the things I learn from IF on personal and professional level and spreading it to those closest to me.

It is important to be that role model for someone and be able to give back your knowledge and experiences to the ones you love. When friends ask you for advice on how then can get “fit” or they want to lose “xx” pounds, you are able to help them. I love training a friend/family member and helping them get to their goals and feeling better about themselves. This is an act of friendship/love and it helps them realize what you do on a daily basis.

A couple of weeks ago I finally got my mum and her friend to come into IF. Since being at IF for just under 2 years, I have constantly asked my family to come in and see what it is all about. They come to all the events that I am in and are very supportive but have never come in and had a training session. This was a huge break through and after my mum's training session, she got a taste of what I do everyday, realized how much fun it is and now knows the reasons why I get up at 5am everyday to come in and train.

My advice to you all, is take the time out of your day to train a friend, significant other or family member. The experience they will receive will make the relationship, respect and understanding of what you do for a living that much better.

Losing Touch

As we run around on a daily basis, we have to recognize the importance, or better yet, the necessity of being connected. Whether it is our Blackberry, our IPhone, being connected to Skype, the use of Twitter, or updating our Facebook status - we probably don’t realize just how much we rely and/or need these means of communication to survive. Most of us are attached to these religiously – even in our sleep.

It seems as though as we have gained a way to stay connected, we are losing the emotional link. We cannot express any kind of emotion, feeling or passion when we send a message to someone, but more importantly the fundamental nature can be loss while in translation. There tends to be far more misleading, misrepresentation and misreading…or perhaps it’s the cryptic nature behind these means of communication.

Don’t get me wrong, these are unbelievable tools and they definitely should be used. We would not be the successful and productive society that we are if we did not use them. However, I believe that nothing compares to actual human contact and interaction. Face to face discussions are so powerful and meaningful and nothing can compare to that.

We must remember that there is actually someone on the other end who we are communicating with. Therefore, next time you are about to Blackberry message someone, think about it…pick up the phone or make arrangements to meet, because there is nothing better than hearing their voice or better yet seeing them.

~Nina Mathers

Self Esteem to the Extreme

A 48 year old man walks into an francise of LA Fitness in Pittsburg and open fires on as many people as he can, unloading almost 40 bullets, killing 3 women, before turning the gun on himself.

His name is George Sodini and according to his online diary he hadn't had a girlfriend in 15 years but was confused about his lack of appeal to the opposite sex, calling himself "not ugly or weird".

He goes on to write "just got back from tanning ... I actually look good. I dress good, am clean shaven, bathe, touche of cologne - yet 30 million women reject me". Stating "a man needs a women for confidence".

Now I bring this up partly because it was all over the news yesterday and he is but one extreme example of those people on the edge of sanity, on the outskirt of normalcy. Just like the perpetrators of Columbine, the Unibomber, or a recently fired employer pushed to the edge by his boss, he too found the restrictions of society, the judgements of others and his inability to live up to them too much to bear.

Self esteem is an amazingly powerful aspect of the human psyche. On a lesser level all people grapple with it - whether it is fear of rejection, not feeling adequate in body image or intelligence levels. From the time simple communications with toddlers are possible we are showing and praising as parents or caregivers. As they grow and develop we carefully nurture their relationships with others, involve them in sports, music, swimming, martial arts (oftentimes without them even showing an interest or asking). In an effort to keep them safe and fulfilled we are teaching them one thing but disallowing them to learn about another - desicion making, failing.

As teenagers their cars now have specific keys with volume, speed and passenger restrictions. We take away the ability for the young person to choose right or wrong, the thinking is taken out as are the steps of learning and consequences. Oftentimes this generation is not required to work to earn money, parents referring to their own long days when they say "there will be a lifetime of work ahead" rather than teaching them responsibility and a work ethic and easing them into those long days slowly.

All of this coddling grows a generation of adults who need constant reassurance or they don't feel adequate. They are unnecessarily unsure of their decisions, feelings, motives. They spend too much, work too much, eat, drink, stress, compensate too much.

I think that as leaders we need to take responsibility for our own feelings of inadequacy, own our decisions and enable others to do the same. Not always easy to do, but I know that I daily allow my daughter to make her own decisions and (sometimes) mistakes.

Why is Common Sense so Uncommon?

I was driving back from Whistler the other day, and at a certain point I realized that I was getting passed by a number of people. Thinking that maybe I was driving Miss Daisy, I looked down at my spedometer...

I was doing 30km OVER the speed limit. Therefore, all the people passing me... were going even faster.

I slowed down. I knew that it was not going to do a lot to improve the safety of the road, but I certainly wasn't going to contribute to it. I also started to thank that (sadly) all the improvements that they've made on the highway aren't going to make it safer... just like the Patello Bridge, there's no way to fix stupidity. And until people just start slowing down - the roads are going to continue to be unsafe.

How is this related to anything, other than for me to rant about the other morons on the road that continually make it one of the most dangerous forms of transportation?

Because there are numerous examples from our everyday world where common sense continues to elude the public, and people instead look to others to fix the problem instead of just showing a modicum of intelligence.

A few sample hints for people out there that may need a little guidance:

• If you're worried about road safety because of speed or road conditions, don't ask for a safer highway and better tires - slow down.


• If you don't fit in airplane seats, don't expect a "disabled" designation and a free extra seat - lose weight.


• If the food you're eating is unhealthy, don't blame the restaurants for serving it - stop eating it.


• If you're worried that the cost of cigarettes is getting too high - stop smoking.

Basically - stop talking about what other people AREN'T doing, and ask yourself "What am I doing" first. And if you're not willing to do that, then at least stop asking for others to fix everything for you.

And if you're not willing to do that, even - then for the love of God, just stop complaining.

The rest of us who are doing what we can to make the world a better place would appreciate it.

~Guy

Someone is always watching…

Seriously, the world is a small place and one never knows who’s watching. Wherever we are we must act like professionals. Whether we are working or not – act appropriately…

First impressions are a real time chance to act the way you want to be perceived. We seem to sometimes live in a shallow world and we all fall into the trap of judging a book by its cover – don’t provide ammunition or ‘fuel to the fire’

As times moves forward and we become more intertwined to the company, our reputations are looked at closer and closer – it seems the better we do, the greater the lens of the microscope used to keep track of us. It can be a slippery slope so please act right and perform the way you see yourself 100% of the time.

Don’t fall victim to road rage and flip someone off…what if that Chevy has your next session driving in it and they recognize you as they walk through our doors…or how about a coach is trying to book you an hour with that customer standing right there and as they are selling you they witness you acting childish, immature or worse, like you aren’t paying attention while training a customer at the that time.

Even super stars need to watch their back – clocking someone in the face is hard to hide from when you have 100,000 eyes watching your every move.

Be sure to act your age and represent yourself like the professional training coach that you are striving to be!

Importance of Rest!

Mental and Physical rest is important to keep mind, body and soul in one piece. Whether it is physical rest, where are bodies have been put through vigorous training and it needs the time to rebuild or it is mental rest, where you need to get away from your familiar surroundings and not think about the daily stresses that you go through.

We often take the time, physically to rest our bodies but how often do we take the opportunity to mentally rest our minds.

We live in a society, where we are always trying to better ourselves, stay on top of the game, make more money and be able to live a lifestyle we want. Technology of cell phones, blackberries, I Phones, allows us to be connected to everything so that we can constantly check our emails, missed calls or receive general updates. This is all wonderful technology but it is important to step away and to refrain that urge to check work/personal emails. It can be as little as a couple hours to a whole weekend, but the mind needs a rest from the day-to-day stresses that come with life.

You might think that sleeping is the best way to rest and rejuvenate you mind, however while you are sleeping you still keep processing information from the days work or any other issues that you might have. Other examples may include taking a vacation, going hiking, boating, playing a sport but how often has something suddenly come up and “pop”, your concerns are back. How often has the stress of day-to-day life reemerged in your head the minute your relaxing vacation was over?

Why is this happening? Well despite the attempts to relax, distract and slow down, the mind still processes problems in your conscious and unconscious sphere. To help us with these distractions you need to be able to control your flow of thoughts and brain waves.

Having the ability to relax and clear your mind, is the result of resting your mind.