Archives for December 2011

There Ain’t No Such Thing As A Free Lunch…

time. effort. money. faith. health. blood. sweat. tears.

everything costs something, and everybody has to pay.

this should not be seen as a threat.

in accepting that everything costs. that everything is earned, or at least paid for, gives us an framework to own our decisions. to accept and embrace the responsibility of doing what is right for us and those we care for.

act deliberately.

wield the knife, carefully and in full consideration of the consequences.

travel light. travel fast.

it was Heinlein who said that “the most expensive thing in the world is a second-best military establishment, good, but not good enough to win”

it is best then, to think of each day as a battle.

do not waste time on half measures.

if you are going to play, than play to win.

if you are going to rest, than fucking rest.

focus. forethought.

do. learn. fail as hard as you fucking can just to get up and do it better next time.

take what you want. and pay for it.

remember: the price for what you want will most likely include the things you least like to do.

the airdyne leaves no-one wanting.

new students make me thankful for old teachers.

unbelievably thankful.

having the bar set so high. positive stress. proofreading training plans, asking questions, trying to spot weakness and short sightedness. nervous tension. hormonal response. something to prove…

i am so often startled by what people expect of me. from me. from the station. from the work we do.

students often impress me. their willingness. their dedication.

other trainers often depress me. make me ashamed of what has become my profession.

not ashamed, annoyed. annoyed that there are people out there calling themselves “coaches” and “trainers”, people diluting the meaning of these titles, these stations that i have come to respect so much.

i sometimes worry, worry about ending up like them. about being a know-it-all, about “leading” from the side lines. about accepting less. about compromising for the sake of business…

this, however, can be turned into a positive. an incentive to work harder. to work smarter. and nothing shakes those fears away like doing. doing it right.

there has been a group of fighters training at the station for the last month. its hard to explain, seeing someone and knowing what to do to help them. when years of small lessons, seemingly disconnected experiences can lock together and help someone correct an imbalance, break past that barrier. the surprised response from these guys when i remind them that the gym is supplemental. that what we do exists to make them better fighters, and not to forget that. they are fast learners, already feeling different, for them the test comes in the ring. for me, the work is the reward.

new students also make me thankful for old ones. for the hard work and dedication. for the trust and willingness to suffer. for making commonplace a level of effort that is anything but. i am grateful for all of this. for challenging me. for asking questions. for forcing me to grow.

to the teachers, the students, the seekers and the workers.

i thank you.

cass and mary are a wonderful example of strength and the benefits of working with a partner

a willingness to endure discomfort is also useful.

again, waste no time. justify your decisions. make arguments. have reasons.
reap the rewards.