Nov 10
14
It’s All About The Mindset, Baby!
I’m going to share with you something that has really bugged, irritated, rubbed me the wrong way, and just flat out has pissed me off from time to time!
As you know we offer several types of classes and we offer some different weight loss programs such as our “Maximize Your Metabolism”, “6-Week Body Transformation Program”, and a couple of more.
In these programs we offer up assistance to the client in regards to their nutrition. Obviously, we also offer access to our exercise classes as well because we all know you can’t just focus on one and not the other.
Anyway, we’ll sometimes get emails, phone calls, or comments at classes from someone who tells us that since taking part in the program or just one of our classes in general they have gained weight! Some people want to blame our classes and programs for causing them to gain weight. This is where I get ticked off!
I can say without a doubt in my mind the following points;
1. My programs work and they work well when followed closely
2. You have to track your progress both nutritionally and functionally (exercise)
3. Exercise DOES NOT make you fat! I really want to stress this one. I have had people tell me that my exercise class (where they come and burn calories and build muscle) has caused them to get fatter. Do you know how hard it is to keep a straight face or to not say, “You’re joking right? That’s an absurd statement!”
Anyway, I’m breaking my silence and I’m going to offer up some sage advice and a great
book that you should check out. I like to get audiobooks and listen to them while driving or while working out. I know, not exactly one’s idea of getting “pumped up” but it works for me.
You know another thing that REALLY irritates me are the people who blame everything and everyone else for their personal shortcomings.
Hey, I’ve not lived anything closely related to the easy life. I didn’t grow up in a fancy house, didn’t automatically get a car when I turned 16, didn’t get an allowance for doing nothing, you get my point. I didn’t have an overly rough life either but I had challenges as a child, teenager, and adult.
Here’s what separated me from some of my childhood friends and even some of my relatives who also lived rough or troubled lives.
I decided to change my outlook on life and make things better for me. I found ways to get scholarships and grants to go to college (thank you to my Dad for helping me with this process, you rock). I searched high and low for my first job and it absolutely sucked…but I did it for as long as I could and then I moved on to Grad School.
When things in life get tough, crappy, difficult, don’t go quite my way I might take a few seconds to vent about it but I refuse to allow it to keep me down or completely effect my outlook on life. Life really is good for most of us IF…IF we allow it to be so! Does that make sense?
Our lives are TRULY going to be as good as WE want them to be based on what WE are willing to put into that life and what WE are willing to be held accountable for.
Take control of your life and the situations that come into play and consider these three questions;
1. Is it really that bad?
2. How will I react to this, negatively or positively?
3. How can I use the situation that I’m currently in or dealing with to my advantage? In other words, how can I turn this big pile of lemons into lemonade!
I’m telling you… mindset is EVERYTHING. Do you remember the movie 300? Those guys never quit!
Ever read “Think and Grow Rich”, by Napoleon Hill? 
Here’s a section from his book that really explains a lot…
People who do not succeed have one distinguishing trait in common. They know all the reasons for failure, and have what they believe to be air-tight alibis to explain away their own lack of achievement.
A character analyst compiled a list of the most commonly used alibis. As you read the list, examine yourself carefully, and determine how many of these alibis, if any, are your own property. Remember, too, the philosophy presented in this book makes every one of these alibis obsolete.
IF I didn’t have a wife and family . . .
IF I had enough “pull” . . .
IF I had money . . .
IF I had a good education . . .
IF I could get a job . . .
IF I had good health . . .
IF I only had time . . .
IF times were better . . .
IF other people understood me . . .
IF conditions around me were only different . . .
IF I could live my life over again . . .
IF I did not fear what “THEY” would say . . .
IF I had been given a chance . . . 
IF I now had a chance . . .
IF other people didn’t “have it in for me” . . .
IF nothing happens to stop me . . .
IF I were only younger . . .
IF I could only do what I want . . .
IF I had been born rich . . .
IF I could meet “the right people” . . .
IF I had the talent that some people have . . .
IF I dared assert myself . . .
IF I only had embraced past opportunities . . .
IF people didn’t get on my nerves . . .
IF I didn’t have to keep house and look after the children. . .
IF I could save some money . . .
IF the boss only appreciated me . . .
IF I only had somebody to help me . . .
IF my family understood me . . .
IF I lived in a big city . . .
IF I could just get started . . .
IF I were only FREE . . .
IF I had the personality of some people . . .
IF I were not so fat . . .
IF my talents were known . . .
IF I could just get a “break” . . .
IF I could only get out of debt . . .
IF I hadn’t failed . . .
IF I only knew how . . .
IF everybody didn’t oppose me . . .
IF I didn’t have so many worries . . .
IF I could marry the right person . . .
IF people weren’t so dumb . . .
IF my family were not so extravagant . . .
IF I were sure of myself . . .
IF luck were not against me . . .
IF I had not been born under the wrong star . . .
IF it were not true that “what is to be will be” . . .
IF I did not have to work so hard . . .
IF I hadn’t lost my money . . .
IF I lived in a different neighborhood . . .
IF I didn’t have a “past” . . .
IF I only had a business of my own . . .
IF other people would only listen to me . . .
IF * * * and this is the greatest of them all * * * I had the courage to see myself as I really am, I would find out what is making happy wrong with me, and correct it, then I might have a chance to profit by my mistakes and learn something from the experience of others, for I know that there is something WRONG with me, or I would now be where I WOULD HAVE BEEN IF I had spent more time analyzing my weaknesses, and less time building alibis to cover them.
Pretty profound, right? If you’ve never read “Think and Grow Rich”, I suggest you check it out. In fact you should follow that book up with Jay Abraham’s book: “How TO Get Everything You Can Out Of All You Got”
I recommend going back to the top and reading this post again and again until that “switch” in your head flips and you stand up, put a big-ass smile on your face, and say, “Screw the negative people and things in my life…it’s time for me to be successful!”
Now go take on the world and enjoy all that it has to offer you!
Chuck Walker MA, LAT, ATC, CAFT
