Multiple marathons.
Air Force preparation training.
50 mile race.
Ironman.
Bodybuilding competition.
The list goes on and on.
These are just a few out of hundreds of stories, accomplishments, victories, and defeats that I have been fortunate enough to prepare and train my clients for. I’ve witnessed first hand what commitment, hard work, and perseverance looks like from many different perspectives. I’ve always been amazed at what the human spirit is capable of achieving when it decides it can and it will. I’ve seen it with many different people, different circumstances, different consequences, different results, and it’s uniquely amazing to witness every time.
“I’ve always believed that if you put in the work, the results will come. I don’t do think half-heartedly because I know if I do, than I can expect half-hearted results.”
~ Michael Jordan ~
Regardless of age, gender, history, goals, body type, whatever it was… I never approached any of the people I had the pleasure of working with half-heartedly. They didn’t come for half-hearted results. They came committed, ready to work, to push, to train hard, to make changes, and to have me believe in them.
The truth is, every single person I worked with was awesome. Every single one of them was capable of working hard.
Every single one of them had their own unique strengths and abilities. None of them, not a single one of them, was ever not able or capable of doing the work and working hard, that was never an option and therefore never a problem.
They were and still are the hardest working people I know. They gave me their all with every session, every set, ever rep, every second of that damn abdominal plank that we always finished with every single time. These weren’t your average people or clients, not even close. Amazing people doing amazing things.
If It Doesn’t Challenge You, It Doesn’t Change You.
What I’ve realized over the years of working with so many hard working awesome people, is that each one of them was capable of much more than they thought. They just needed to be pushed to their limits, taken out of their comfort zone, challenged on their own thoughts of what’s possible.
My guess is they probably thought I was nuts half the times with what I had them do, but interestingly enough, regardless of how nuts they may have thought I was, they trusted in me. Even more importantly, they trusted and believed in themselves enough to go for it, to try whatever exercise it was they weren’t sure they could do and to their amazement, got it done.
You see, I didn’t do anything other than believe in them and tell them that they could do it. It was each and every one of them that made the decision to go for it, to do it, to be confident enough to try, and ultimately succeed.
What I always found interesting, was that they all credited me for their successes. They would say it was because of me they were able to do what they use to view as impossible.
It was because of me that they completed their first marathon, or did so well in the Ironman they completed, or it was because of me they got into the Air Force or got that job that was physically demanding.
It was all because of me they said.
As flattering as that was to hear, it couldn’t be further from the truth.
NO WAY!
They’re the ones who put in the work day after day, week after week.
They’re the ones who sacrificed lots to achieve what they achieved.
They’re the ones who sought out my help, guidance, and support.
They’re the ones who refused to give up when others may have.
They’re the ones who even if they fell 99 times, would get up the 100th time.
They’re the ones who inspired me and still inspire me, every single day.
They did it for me. They wanted me to believe in them. They didn’t want to let me down.
They couldn’t have let me down if they tried.
They may not have been perfect along the way, but its never been and never will be about being perfect. It’s about making progress.
They may have fell off the wagon several times, but they always chose to get right back on again.
They may not have believed in themselves as much as I believed in them, but that never stopped them from working hard, giving it their all, and challenging their own impossible.
They always thought they were disappointing me if they couldn’t finish an exercise, yet I couldn’t have been happier and more proud that they were there, with me, giving it their all.
Amazing people.
“It’s Amazing How Far You Can Go, Just Because Someone Believed In You.”
Featured Image Credit: Body Physics Party
YOU are AWESOME!! Your inspiration to get others to believe is incredible!
Thank you!… Sincerely. 🙂
Great post, Mike. It’s amazing that having just one sincere person in your corner makes so much difference in what you can accomplish.
How interesting that people will easily do something for someone else, yet struggle to do something (even that same thing) for themselves… I wonder where that comes from?
Thanks again,
Steve
Thanks Steve! It really is incredible what we are able to do by simply having just one person in our corner believing in us and cheering us on. Interesting isn’t it, how we are quick to take care of and help others yet no as quick to do the same for ourselves. A balance between the two of course is ideal. Thanks for being here Steve, cheers!