Are You Growing?

The acquisition of knowledge doesn’t mean you’re growing.  Growth happens when what you know changes how you live.

Wolfie

Decide

A meaningful decision sits at the right side of a horrible choice. And yet we take the same amount of time on both.

Either you’re walking out the door, in the door, or making a door.

You’re always deciding. Might as well not let life pass you by while you do.

You will you impact?

Life is fragile and precious, and it can be gone in a split second. Honor those who love you in this life and do good to others, for you never know who you will permanently touch in this world.

Wolfie

Hard to explain.

It is hard to explain the passion to climb a mountain to someone who rides an escalator.

Wolfie

Basic Human Movement

We are simply designed to move. We are made to move in a variety of ways with too many combinations of movements to count. Though our movements are many, they can be broken down into a few basic patterns.

In fact, Dan John, a great author, coach, and teacher believes that all movements can be broken down into 5 basic human movements:

Push
Pull
Squat
Hinge
Carries

If Dan is training an athlete and he wants to improve their performance, he simply introduces the athlete to whichever of the above movements the athlete is not currently training. For instance, say Dan is coaching a discus thrower who strength trains religiously but he never does squats. Dan simply introduces squats into that athlete’s routine and boom! – Instant performance improvement.

Dan’s performance enhancement method is quite simple; simple and brilliant! How can you improve your performance? Simply do the things you are not doing that you were designed to do.

We are made to move and possess certain movements. We are also made for efficiency, and this works against us when it comes to the “use it or lose it” principle. It is simply inefficient to hold on to movements that we never take advantage of; even the movements we were meant to have. Not using one of the movement patterns you were meant to have is like driving your car around on 3 tires instead of 4 tires. 4 tires is obviously better but your body will accommodate you if you only want to use 3!

So it only makes sense that if you regularly participate in the 5 basic movements you were meant to have, you will not only retain them, you will move (perform) well. You will perform at your best because you continually take advantage of your basic design.

Everything about us revolves around the “use it or lose it” principle. Your math skills, your movement patterns, your joints, your strength, everything. The best way to ensure that your body always performs at its best is to regularly, if not daily, engage in the activities and movements you were made for. If you don’t push, start. If you don’t pull, start. If you don’t hinge, learn how. Do the things you are not doing – in your training sessions, in your “play” sessions, in your daily life. Get up and move!

Wolfie

Wolfie

Find your path.

To find our way through life’s journey we must first have the ability to find our own path. We must first be patient enough to look deep enough within ourselves to find our own meaning of existence. Our external life can only be perceived by our internal selves. If we realize that knowing who we are and what we are will lead to a greater understanding of the outside world, we may just realize that what happens ‘out there’ can only be defined by what happens ‘in here’…

Wolfie

Woulda, coulda, shoulda.

Woulda, coulda, shoulda. There is a story about a fellow who was really down on his luck. He decided if he won the lotto, he could change his life, that he would do good and make a difference. So, he decided to pray and ask god for him to win the lotto. God answered him and said he would as he could see his heart and his sincerity. The lotto was $200 million – the numbers came out and the fellow didn’t win. He spoke to god and asked; “why did you abandon me?” God replied, “at least buy a ticket!”

People talk about what might have been, could have been and should have been if they bothered to try. Maybe join the team, set up a business take the SAT, whatever. Something. No one is going hand you anything in this life. You have to participate in life. Sitting on the sideline you never will win a game.

People make excuses so they can sit in their chair mediocrity and comment about the people who are doing. Get your backside out of the chair and make a difference. Talking about it isn’t going to do it. Thinking is a good thing but not to they point of paralysis. Get in the game. Take a chance. Go for it; throw it all against the wall and see what sticks. Opportunity passes in and out of life for and if you don’t seize it you will never gain anything. Choose and act.

Winning and losing matters – many of the most valuable life lessons learned in life come from taking a chance and seeing what happens. You will never win or lose unless you try. Everyone is an armchair quarterback. Talking about the people who are on the field, making the play or missing the pass. Living though the experiences of others. Live through doing, not watching.

What you do with life defines you as a human being. The fights you pick, the stands you make, the things you settle for – is the record or your life and your name. You can choose to be on the sideline or you can choose to be in the games.

Lets see what you got?

Wolfie

Do your actions match your goal?

Do your actions steps match your goals?

Lots of people talk the talk, but few walk the walk.

If you want to achieve your goals you’re going to have to understand that there is n0 escalator or elevator taking you to where you want to go.

Goals require walking the walk, plenty of hard work, and sweat.

Now get out there and take that first step.

Wolfie

Commitment!

“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness concerning all acts of initiative and creation. There is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans; that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen events, meetings and material assistance which no one could have dreamed would have come their way. I have learned a deep respect for one of Goethe’s couplets: “Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now!”“

W.H. Murray , from the journal of his Himalayan expedition

Sucess is a journey.

You can be seen as “successful” by the world and still feel like a failure to yourself. Success should never be measured by bank accounts or pictures in the paper…mass murderers get more press than monks, but who would you rather have watch your kids? Money should never be equated with value; you can spend an enormous amount on plastic surgery and still not be a nice person.

Success is the journey towards a worthy goal. A parent striving and sacrificing for their child to attend an excellent school is as successful as any basketball player who makes a free throw…more so, in my book. Watching a preschooler go from struggling to remember all those squiggly lines that make up the alphabet…lower case, upper case, printed, cursive, gothic…then, slowly putting the letters into words, then sentences is to watch success in action. When you pick up a book at a bookstore and thumb through 1000 pages of writing and shrug and decide to read something else, you might forget the long road that took you to that moment. Celebrate life’s journeys.

Wolfie