Do you recall your heroes?
I remember watching Arnold and Stallone in Hollywood movies that thrilled me - Not because of the physique back then but they represented to me, as a boy, everything that represented strength in a man. I had no desire or thoughts of oneday turning to the gym but I respected them nonetheless as true inspirational men to lean a vision or dream upon. This is an important lesson of growing up - you dedicate so much of your time to fantasy or visualisation because it is the magic of that time.
You know the little girl who plays with dolls and thinks about all the wonderful female role models she admires and the men who are strong that reflect her Father, that deep sense of love and respect that is drawn from a girl's most powerful male influence at that age?
And for boys the same ideals but also the love for their Mother and the strong female respect and love we feel and want to look toward others to help guide and direct, and most critically shape us as we evolve into adolescence and adulthood.
This wonderful dreamy time of our youth the magic of it has the immense brutal force to dictate our entire future, how we define ourselves, how we define others, in fact even how we treat ourselves and others. Sometimes the things we pursue and do are cast in the shadow of youth.
Well this leads me to my current blog we continue to respect people all through our lives until we die. We should never hold them at that high status and expect such demanding purity or values of them in later life and we should remain individuals and never try to model ourselves on anyone else but our own unique self.
I was told to get a picture of a physique I wanted to work toward once - and I refuse this concept outright - how can that even work in my opinion? Our bodies are not created equal - if I put a picture of Hugh Jackman on my mirror of my exercise room, can I ever expect to resemble his physique? No way - the basic understanding of anatomy and the way muscles develop for each person rules this out as pure rubbish. If you truly need a hero just look at that person in the mirror each day working their glutes off and sweating buckets to reach their goals, for that reflection you see is all you need for inspiration, and when the progress shots start to show this is the motivational factor.
This brings me to the point of the blog - I was in a place in the infancy of my journey of fitness and strength, it was a dark unsure place. I had doubts and I had fears and I had hesitation. It was suggested by the guys on a muscle and strength forum after my regular posts, that my weight cut must have yielded some progress. A respected long time member suggested: "Man put up some shots."
I was horrified at the concept - you must be kidding right? Yeah right put them up on a public site for the whole online community to laugh at yes that sounds good. Then the mindset that grew stronger much later began to shine a little light - What if? What if I have actually in fact changed? I mean the scales are telling me I have lost a heap of weight through dedication and discipline - what if?
I stood in front of the mirror and took that shot and honestly thought at that moment -Nothing.
I compared it to the previous shot a few months earlier and I am telling you my entire life changed from that moment the day just changed.
I thought Holy Crap! There is a difference, not a huge huge one but certainly a difference to write home about ... I posted the pics and even showed my face some guys will censor that out of whatever reason.
This is where life changed. Many positive reactions, in fact surprisingly positive for a forum such as that if you jump into any muscle or gym related forum online you will see the ego and the disagreements the banter and the hate.
A comment was left a week or so later by a member I had to look further into.
He called himself Brendan Meyers.
I looked at his profile he was brand new and he had posted some links to a YouTube Channel.
The one comment he left was most succinct he simply replied with one word:
Respect.
That word has now become my catch phrase when I need to use it to others for boosting inspiration.
I looked him up and was humbled and shocked at who he actually was. This YouTubegiant force. A beast from Florida that had ambition to make the league his physique is crazy. The guy summarized the themes I have embraced in my heart DISCIPLINE DEDICATED MOTIVATED DETERMINED TO SUCCEED AND UNSTOPPABLE. I could add a few more but my blogs are way too long as they stand perhaps I need to consider adding jump breaks in future.
I have communicated with him many times he is a source of powerful drive to me.
We do Not need any external motivation in life we should have it already, however when a champion comes into your life, unexpectedly and shines a light - Do Not disengage it - you remember the above story of youth YOU LOOK UP TO THAT PERSON AND ADMIRE THEM.
This is my personal thankyou to the beast who helped my journey.
I will add the ten month link that in turn thanks to Brendans heart and power I kept my beast motive and was able to put this up so far 990 views and high praise it is a public access site no log in needed: http://www.muscleandstrength.com/forum/threads/79938-10-months-of-sweat-and-nutrition-and-discipline
I would love to add one of his videos and suggest you look him up and sub the guy puts out so much useful material on fitness he is truly a source of learning for all of us. He has repeated many times that when people tell him how he became an inspiration for them and that he helped them change he gets the greatest satisfaction - I personally think more than his working out - it lifts his spirit and why wouldn't it?
it is the story of how everyone told him he could Never do it. And instead of listening to them he followed his heart and that huge heart had a vision or rather two words:
I CAN!
I want to leave you with you all with one word and Brendan in particular:
Respect. oh and champ I might add one of my own - Gratitude.
No comments:
Post a Comment