Jesse Brisendine is an internationally recognized life coach, personal trainer, speaker, and author who motivates, educates and inspires people worldwide.
Jesse has worked with 1000's of people from all over the world. Fortune 500 business leaders, Hollywood celebrities, entrepreneurs, musicians, and many more enlist Jesse’s help to ensure their success in business, relationships, health, and in life.
Jesse's passion is helping you live your most fulfilling life.
I consider myself to be a fairly positive person and I love to laugh and smile a lot. However, I am also human and there are times, especially those heartbreaking days after a loss, where I feel anywhere from broken to downright depressed.
I used to think I had to wait until that feeling passed until I could be happy again - that I had to struggle with the sadness and depression until someone or something decided I could be happy.
What I know now is nothing could be further from the truth. That is because you and I have the emotional resourcefulness available to us to shift from how we are feeling to how we want to feel.
Here are a few of the things I am doing, right now, to pick me up when I am down, and help me feel how I want to feel:
1.) Compliment myself - when I feel down I can go into a negative self-talk. Forcing myself to compliment myself, even if I have to acknowledge myself for picking my dirty underwear up off the floor, can make a really profound shift. It helps me wade through the emotional mud.
2.) Exercise - without fail exercise, and eating healthy, has been at the forefront of my healing process as it has been essential in helping me cope with some of the overwhelming pain that comes with loss. Whenever I need to snap out of a "less than ideal emotional state," I do my best to eat healthy 80-90% of the time (the other 10-20% is for fun) and exercise 5 - 6 days a week doing a combination of weight training and cardiovascular conditioning.
3.) Laugh - laughter, as they say, can cure all and it really does wonders to help you make changes, very fast. When I need a good laugh, I hop over to Youtube and pull up some videos I know will warm my heart with laughter. (Note: I encourage you to build a funny video playlist on Youtube so you have easy access to your resources).
4.) Practice Gratitude - conceptually I got it, but it wasn't until I started doing it that I really experienced the profound emotional shift that came when I began to focus on gratitude daily. Every morning I spend a few minutes reciting as many things as I can think of that I am grateful for. If the weather is nice, I will do this outdoors. Nature seems to add a little extra emotional energy to the experience. (I share a daily gratitude post on my Instagram account. Be sure to follow me there and share what you are grateful for).
5.) Connect with positive people - it has been scientifically proven that we are all omitting a certain energy field and that we pick up on the energy of others. It has also been said we are the average of the 5 people we surround ourselves with the most often. Want to feel happier, more inspired, more fulfilled, then surround yourself with people who radiate those emotions. As soon as I connect with others that lift me up, I immediately feel uplifted and I bet you will too! (This is, in part, why I created the Moving Forward Group, so that we could surround ourselves with like-minded people who are wanting to heal and move forward from their loss).
I hope this email was helpful to you. Give the above five a try and let me know how they work for you.
A word that when you hear it you want what is the source of it.
We see people throughout life who have "it." The "it" they have is passion.
Whether it is in their relationship, their career, their family, or just how they interact with life; there is no mistaking a passionate person.
The big myth about passion is that it is reserved only for those who were born with it; meaning you either won the genetic lottery and have it, or you don't.
Nothing could be further from the truth for passion is not something you are born with, it is something you create. And who doesn't want to create more passion in their life?
As fate would have it, you are a born creator - born to create an emotional experience that brings you joy and fulfillment every day of your life.
Unfortunately most of us are not taught these tools in school - after all we have other, more important things to focus on like The symbolism of the green light at the end of the pier in "The Great Gatsby," (Why can't the light just be green?).
Recently I hosted a training where I shared three ways you can instantly become more passionate about life. You can watch that training below. These ways are simple strategies that anyone can do, but to do them will require you to step up to the plate of life and command more from yourself than you have before.
I hope the training was of value to you.
Let me know in the comments below.
As always if I can be of any help on your journey, you can let me know by contacting me here.
My greatest joy in life is helping people get from where they are to where they want to be. With all my heart I believe that every human being is born with greatness inside of them - some might call it a light, a light that is met to shine brightly.
Sadly, so many of those lights fade before they even shine. So many die with their greatness locked away inside - never shared with the world.
Why?
I remember reading a study one time that said the majority of the inventions in the world were invented by a small % of the inventors. And of these inventions that were invented nearly 90% had been attempted before by at least one or more person's.
What the study implied was that so many people had amazing, life changing ideas, but gave up on them. At which time the small % of inventors who were courageous enough to persist on picked up where they had left off and brought the initial idea into fruition.
Why did those original inventors, the ones with the initial world changing idea, give up?
Like most of us the reasons are many, but the underlying roots boil down to a few key beliefs:
- I am not ______ enough (good enough, smart enough, talented enough, educated enough, rich enough, connected enough etc....) to achieve my goal.
- What if I fail (people may not like me, I won't be loved, I'll be ostracized, I'll be an outcast, I'll prove the doubters wrong, I'll let my friends/family down etc...)?
To give those beliefs fire, they are usually fueled by some broad declarations and generalizations:
- this is impossible, it was stupid to try, what was I thinking, everyone was right this can't be done, etc...
Any of this sound familiar?
What would your life look like if you refused to give up on yourself?
What might the world at large look like? I would love to hear your thoughts.
If you are someone that has a dream, a goal, a commitment to unlocking your greatness and allowing your light to shine brightly, here are a couple videos I recorded that can help you persevere in the face of doubt and the voice that whispers "give up."
Have you ever let food go
bad? Have you ever forgotten about a piece of fruit, only to be
reminded about it a week later because the smell of it become
overwhelming?
When food expires it stinks and is no
longer edible. When the trash can gets to full it smells and it is no
longer usable, thus it needs to be emptied.
The same is true for our life.
"Stuff" goes in and out of our lives. If we hold onto the expired
"stuff," we limit ourselves and our ability to move forward and enjoy
life to the fullest.
Much in the same way that if we
only ate expired, rotten food, we not only would miss out on enjoying
the taste of fresh food, but we probably would not last that long on
that kind of diet.
In this short video below, I explain why it is so crucial that you get rid of the expired "stuff" in your life
Recently I hit a milestone professionally and I as I was reflecting back on it, I thought there were a few insight worth sharing.
September 3rd marked my ninth year of becoming an entrepreneur and making the decision to work for myself. Nine years, I cannot believe that! I still vividly remember the day I walked out of my job as an employee for the last time. It was feeling that was both scary and liberating at the same time.
I remember waking up the next day and one of my first thoughts was: "Now what?"
In the nine years since my career has been filled with ups, downs, lefts, and rights. I have traveled the world and have spent many a long days/nights/weeks/months in my bedroom or office trying to push things forward.
Entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart, but I promise you this, if you heart is filled with a message to share with the world, and you are willing to be bold and ride the waves of uncertainty, there is nothing better, in my opinion, than calling your own shots, setting your own schedule, being your own boss, and walking your own path through life.
Lessons learned
Do it because you are passionate about it:
Life is way to short to do it for any other reason. No matter how long my days are or how much frustration may enter into them (yes I get frustrated and even pissed off at times) there is nothing else I would rather do. Ask yourself this: at the end of your life would you rather sit on a mountain of money, but feel empty inside, or would you rather sit on a couple coins, but be filled with happiness, joy, and a ton of amazing memories? Pursue your passion and life will deliver.
It ain't easy:
As the saying goes, "If it were everyone would do it." Lots of long days that meld into long nights. You often learn that just because you think you have a great idea doesn't mean everyone else does. Restless nights, take out, paperwork scattered everywhere, odd hours, saying "no" to going out and hanging with friends, and instead saying yes to waking up early (7 days a week). But heck, the time will pass anyways, right, so why not invest that time in the pursuit of what you truly want.
Make sure you have a strong stomach and are prepared for the swings:
I silly-ly (when you walk your own path you get to make up your own words) thought that I was going to be running the "Field of Dreams" of Personal Training (when I first started out) and Life Coaching Services. "If I built it they would come," welllllll it doesn't always happen exactly like that. At first you are often playing for an empty ball park, and while it may not be the most desirable outcome at the time, you know what, something magical happens when your customers do start showing up. You learn to appreciate them that much more. Not every season will be a winning season, the loses make you much more appreciative of the wins.
Put yourself out there:
One thing is for sure, nothing will happen if you do not share your gift with the world. I long ago had the idea in my mind that I wanted to become a speaker and use my voice to share my message with the world. The problem: I never had really spoken publicly or on video. When my first website was set up (the original http://www.jessebrisendine.com ) I decided no better way to kick off my quest to become a speaker than to slap a video on my website for the whole world to see. I have now dug this video up (see below) to share with you. We all start somewhere...
Believe in yourself:
In anything you do there will likely be skeptics and critics. Something I learned early on is to always ask myself: "Does this person (the person who is doubting me) have everything in their life they want in this particular area?" 99.999999% of the time the answer was NO. Often people will cast shade on what you are pursuing because you have the courage to pursue something they want, but are too scared to go after. There will be doubters and naysayers along any path worth traveling. Listen to them, you will never get to where you want to go. Listen to your internal compass and it will lead you to your destination.
Learn to embrace people telling you "No."
We all are in "sales." Some of us may not directly negotiate a price, ask for a fee, or shake hands over a deal, but we are all "selling" ourselves all the time. I'm on the side where I offer services and for people to utilize those services they pay a fee to me. In those exchanges (a customer has the opportunity to invest money in a service I provide) I have been told No far more than I have been told Yes. I won't lie, the initial No's hurt, but if you allow them to, they get exciting really fast because every "No," brings you one step closer to a "Yes." Keep pushing forward in-spite of the "No's," the "Yes's" need you!
Celebrate the little wins:
Often when we begin something new we want to hit a home run right out of the gate and given the choice between a home run and a single, who wouldn't choose the home run? The home run is what brings the crowd to their feet, it is what makes the highlight reel on Sportscenter. Life isn't always a home run, sometimes it is just stepping up the plate and giving your best effort. You won't always be at a 100%, but you can always give 100% of whatever you got that day. When you step up to the plate don't swing for the fences every time, step up with the intention to give your best. When you do that, celebrate the effort, take a breath, and evaluate how you can improve.
Life is to short not to go after what you want:
See above about Passion. We have all heard it before and it is worth hearing again "Life is to short to be miserable." If the work you do does not fulfill you, if the relationship you are in leaves feeling empty, if you go to bed a night dreading the alarm clock in the morning, something needs to change. Your life is precious, you would not be here if that wasn't the case. Treat your life like the treasure it is and you will find a world of wonder waiting for you. Make the changes you know you need to make, life is to short not to.
Have a plan, but most importantly be prepared to work hard:
When I began working for myself I had a vague (at best) plan. The plan consisted of crunching a few numbers and me showing up. What I have learned is the best laid plans will often encounter challenges and no well laid plan will ever be a substitute for a relentless work ethic. Plans help with efficiency and give you guidance as to how to best focus your efforts, but at the end of the day nothing gets things done like an unbreakable work ethic. When things get dirty, be prepared to roll up your sleeves and dive in.
Even as I type, I have more memories, ideas, and thoughts I could share with you, but I think I will save those for later and instead leave you with this:
Time will continue to pass, life will move forward, things will always change, 7+billion people are responsible for living their lives, and you are responsible for living yours. If you do not like how things are going right now, be courageous enough to change it. An amazing life is not given, it is created.
Carpe Diem and thank you for being a part of my first nine years,
If you need help on your journey, and you would like me to be your guide to help you get what your heart desires, you can contact me here. Note, this is only for those of you who are committed to living your greatest life. If you are content to settle and keep things as they are, please do not click on this link.
We have all heard the phrase "never give up," thrown around so much that it almost sounds cliche.
The
problem is that people with the best of intentions and ambitions say
it, encourage it, like the idea of it, but fail to follow through with
it. This lack of follow through sadly robs many people from the power
that resides in this simple phrase, "Never Give Up."
I often think about what all of our lives could be like if we never gave up on our dreams.
The
video below is about 15 minutes long and easily one of the best talks I
have heard in recent memory on this very important subject.
The speaker is an expert on "Never Giving Up," and persevering when others long doubted that she could accomplish her dreams.
Please
do yourself a favor and watch the video below. As you do, listen very
carefully to her words. Notice the obstacles she was up against, notice
how hard she had to work, and notice the insight she has to share at
the end.
As you watch, ask yourself, "What am I am willing to go
after, what am I willing to pursue to see come to fruition? What can my
life become if I adopt and embody the mantra: "Never Give Up."
Carpe Diem,
Jesse
P.S.
The team you surround yourself with is instrumental to your success. If you need some assistance on your journey, lets talk about how I can help. Click here.
Each and every single human being on the planet, including YOU, has
an abundance of gifts. These gifts come in the form of talents,
skills, thoughts, ideas, and emotions among others.
More importantly, each of You has the ability to share Your gift with another human being.
Imagine how much greater You can make another person's life by sharing Your gift with them.
Imagine how much greater the world could become if we all learned to be better givers of our gifts.
In this short video below I explain why it is so important and how You can share Your gift with the world.
If you need some help unlocking your gift so that you can share it with the world, send me an email here. We will get together and talk about what you can do right away to begin sharing your gifts.
I hope this blog finds you doing well and living life the best you can.
I firmly believe everything happens for a reason. Even the toughest...
the shittiest parts of life, I believe there is a reason to those as
well.
The challenge that we all face is to look for the reason, the more
empowering perspective, so that when the "shit" does happen, which it
will - to all of us, we can deal with it and move forward vs. let it
consume us and dictate our lives.
I recorded a short video for You where I talk more in depth about this. I hope you find this video to be of value.
You have heard all the phrases, "Dream Big," "If you can dream it you can achieve it," and so on.
Dream quotes, dream expressions, dream sayings... lets face it, they are everywhere.
As a kid one of the first dream statements I can remember is Martin Luther King Jr.'s " I have a Dream Speech."
Why
is the "Dream" expression such a powerful one? What is it about
telling someone to go after their dreams that makes the statement so
much more powerful vs saying go after your goals?
Would Dr.
King's speech have had the same impact on us if he would have replaced
the word "dream" with the word "goal?" I don't think it would have. I
have a goal just does not have the same ring to it as does I have a
dream.
You see dreams are something we can all relate to. And they are something we all had well before we even had words.
Many
of us get shy when it comes to setting goals, we believe we can't
achieve certain ones and we are not deserving of others. With dreams we
do not limit ourselves. We can dream the biggest dreams without fear,
without judgement after all... it is just a dream right?
I
believe that having dreams, big dreams, dreams for what you want in
life, dreams for what you want to achieve are so so so important.
I also believe that You are never to young to start dreaming those dreams.
A couple years ago I recorded a video about the importance of dreaming and making those dreams come true.
As I re-watch the video today I am thankful that I started dreaming about being a speaker and coach long before I did it.
What is a dream of yours?
What action can you take, today, to move towards that dream?
They give structure to our reality and they can break it apart
They melt hearts and they can break them
They sing praises and they can inflict pain
They build you up and they can tear you down
How much thought do you put into the words you use?
Before you speak, do you consider the affect your words will have on your life, on the lives of others?
A few weeks ago, I can across the short story below - it is an excellent example of the power of words.
There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His father gave him
a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must
hammer a nail into the back of the fence.
The first day the boy
had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he
learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily
gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper
than to drive those nails into the fence.
Finally the day came when the
boy didn't lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the
father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he
was able to hold his temper.
The days passed and the young boy was
finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.
The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said,
"You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The
fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a
scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out.
It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound is still
there."
The little boy then understood how powerful his words
were. He looked up at his father and said "I hope you can forgive me
father for the holes I put in you."
"Of course I can," said the father.
It's not always anger, it is your actions in general. There are no
"fresh starts" in life. There is no new beginning. Forgiveness comes
easy for many people but the scars of the past, they never go away.
Watch what you do today, because sometimes the price isn't worth the
reward.
If you have been a part of my journey for any amount of time, you have likely heard me speak on love and the power of it.
I find love to be absolutely fascinating. There is nothing else like it on our planet.
We crave it.
We fear it.
We want it.
We hide from it.
We seek it.
We reject it.
We love to love it.
We hate to miss it.
We confuse it.
We mis-communicate it.
We give it.
We receive it.
We share it.
We spend it.
We use it.
We abuse it.
We fight over it.
We go to war because of it.
We make peace because of it.
We change our lives for it.
We create lives with it.
We treasure it.
We are born into it.
All this and so much more
Further I believe Love is the first language we communicate with. In fact I believe that love is our one true language. It is a universal language that is shared by all living things.
Tragically we can all to easily allow ourselves to be influenced and pushed away from it.
If we only make more of an effort to reconnect with what we have always known, imagine what type of place your world would be?
Recently I stumbled across one of the most beautiful videos I have ever seen. The caption on the video had said this:
"This incredible video shows two newborn twins who still think they’re in their mother’s womb.
Using a new bathing approach called ‘The Baby Spa’, nurse Sonia
Rochel gently eases the babies into their new surroundings with warm
water and calming music."
As I watched this video I had goosebumps. I smiled and cried witnessing such a pure form of love on display.
1 - What do I want to accomplish?
2 - Why do I want to accomplish this?
3 - What can hold me back from achieving this goal?
4 - What can I do now to address #3?
5 - How will accomplishing this impact my life?
6 - Is the accomplishing of this in alignment with my higher values?
I challenge you to ask yourself the above questions and dig deep, especially when you get to question #3. That is the one that derails most people because they will often settle for an answer like "lack of time, or lack of money."
If it is something you really want to accomplish, I promise you that if you fully commit to doing it, you will be able to find the time, and figure out the money part along the way.
P.S.
I have a weekly segment I post on the 1 Year 1000 Challenge Facebook page where I answer questions asked by the 1000 Challenge Community members. Would it be helpful to you if I started posting those answers, along with other videos I do here, in this blog?
Tragically, not enough of us make those dreams come true.
The reasons "why" are many: "I don't know how," "it's impossible," "it's to hard," "I don't have enough money," "if only," etc... Do any of these sound familiar?
Over the course of its' four year life, this blog has been about a lot... dreams, goals, life, death, love, and the ongoing journey of living and experiencing life to the best of my ability.
I try to be open and share with you all in hopes that my candor may inspire you in how you choose to live your life. In no way am I suggesting your life should look exactly like mine, what I am saying is that perhaps you can gain inspiration for your journey as you share in mine.
Recently my journey brought me to a day that I had dreamed of for years. My first ever Jesse Brisendine live event!
Up to this point I had spoken to numerous audiences and organizations, been a featured presenter at corporate training's, and gifted with the opportunity to educate and inspire students at several High Schools and Universities. This all was, and continues to be amazing (something I want to keep building on), however I had never hosted my own event.
Something that was uniquely mine in everything from the content, to the music, to the location, and most importantly the jokes (haha) all of it was "Jesse."
This had been a dream because I want to help people, a lot of people, live extraordinary and fulfilling lives. To be able to help as many as I want to, I need a platform that allows me to interact and work with multiple people at once. Enter Unlock Your Greatness - a program conceived by the idea to bring people together from all over the world to learn, to grow, to let go, and to move forward.
Last week (I cannot believe it has been a week already) I hosted the first ever Unlock Your Greatness (UYG) live event in Santa Barbara, California.
It was attended by folks from seven different countries and 15 different States. If I had only one word to describe it, I would say WOW.
WOW... because I was proud of what I created, WOW because of the moments I shared with the participants, WOW because of the breakthroughs people had, WOW because of the feeling I had watching the attendees Unlock a Greatness that had always been inside of them, and was waiting to be let out.
I titled this post "Making Dreams Come True," because dreams can come true, but not because you wish them to, dreams come true because you make them come true.
Any great dream deserves a great amount of work and effort that goes into making that dream a reality. Most dreams will require 100's, maybe even 1000's of hours or more of hard work, commitment, sacrifice, and the proverbial "blood, sweat, and tears," to make them come true.
You know what? I can happily tell you that it is and will be worth it when you realize your dream.
Unlock Your Greatness was the start of a new beginning for me; the next chapter in my professional career and life purpose. UYG also was the culmination of 1000's of hours of hard work, study, sacrifice, decision making, life lesson learning, forward step taking, choice making, and life living. All of it came together for two magical days in Santa Barbara, California.
Below are some photos from the first event. I hope to see you at a future Unlock Your Greatness, I am excited to share it with you. :)
Lastly, to all the people who made the journey to attend - thank you. You all believed in me at the beginning. I will always be grateful for that.
Carpe Diem,
Jesse
P.S. What is one dream you have that you are committed to making come true?
Some Random Thoughts... which I thought I would share with you all and see what your thoughts are on my thoughts?
What do you think? You up for it?
1 - Bullying amongst kids would not be so prevalent if adult "role models" didn't use bullying tactics to try and get what they want/solve problems. Ex: politicians focusing on what other candidates did wrong or won't do vs. what they will do to improve things. Mom and Dad yelling at the news hoping it will change what is happening.
2 - Why are books like the "Scarlet Letter"required reading? Why aren't courses like a course on how to be happy taught in public school? Is the Scarlet Letter (can you guess which book I did Not enjoy in High School? :) ) more important to learn about than Happiness?
3 - Leadership is not always a friendship contest. To lead means you are willing to say and do the tough things for the greater good, even if it means you may be removed from people's Christmas List.
4 - What would happen if we treated money the same way we treat all other pieces of paper?
5 - Part 1: There are 1,440 minutes and 86,400 seconds in every day... how many of them do you remember?
6 - Part 2: With all that time available for us to remember, why do so many chose the few "bad" seconds or minutes to represent the day? How might the quality of a person's life change if they instead focused on the other 1,400+ minutes that were not all that bad?
I am looking forward to reading what you all come up with.
Recently one of the members of the Zero Limits Mastermind shared this video and I thought it would be of value to you.
Coca Cola advertisement aside it conveys a powerful message of just how much our perspective shapes our reality.
The video opens with the word prejudice and I encourage you to allow yourself to think of other words like: perspective, judgment, assessment, etc.. when you watch this video.
What we see is not always what is
What we believe is what will determine the reality we live in.
If you do not like your present reality, take a good long look at your beliefs.
Change your beliefs and you will change your reality.
Last week we did part 1 of a special interview series with my good friend Macie. (Click here to see part 1)
Macie randomly picked several questions, chosen by you, to ask me. Today you get to see part 2 of that interview!!
Quick update:
The event website for Unlock Your Greatness will be up by the end of this week! This is where you will be able to find out everything you need to know about UYG. When it's going to be, what it will be about, when tickets will go sale, and how you can reserve your seat! I am SUPER excited about this and even more excited to have the opportunity to meet so many of you in person. :)
Ok, I know you are ready for the interview with Macie and I so here it is. Also be sure to check out the project she is doing and if you feel compelled to participate I have included a link to her website below. :)
Be sure to leave a comment below and let me know what you thought of the interview. I always love reading your feedback.
1 - As you may or may not have heard, I am hosting my first ever live event!!!! I am beyond ecstatic for this next step in my mission to positively impact the lives of 2 Billion people. Save the Dates: Friday October 9th and Saturday October 10th in Santa Barbara California. More details will be forthcoming in the next few weeks. Be sure to check in here, my newsletter, and the 1 Year 1000 Challenge page for all the details as they come in. :)
2 - The Spring 28 Day Flat Belly Challenge begins on Wednesday. There are still a few spots available if you want in. This is an awesome opportunity to get rid of that unwanted body fat once and for all. Click here for more info
The early part of my career in helping people was spent in the gym doing personal training. I loved seeing people undergo the physical transformations of losing weight, building muscle, and recovering from injuries. It was an amazing time in my life.
As much as I enjoyed my time as a trainer, I also found a part of me being frustrated. I wanted to help more people and my reach seemed limited to who was in front of me at the gym.
I knew I had a ton of knowledge and experience to offer people in the realm of fitness. I knew, as I transitioned away from the role as a full time trainer, that there were still people out there who could benefit from my fitness, health, and exercise expertise.
I also knew that one of the biggest obstacles people faced in achieving their goals was ongoing accountability. I used to see it all the time; highly motivated people, who showed up to the gym, kicked ass at their workouts and nailed their nutrition. Then as soon as they stopped training with me and they no longer had the accountability, all their hard earned gains would disappear as would their gym attendance.
One day I had the idea to create a group. My intention in creating the group was to create accountability amongst members while providing a fun, safe, supportive, and inspiring environment for people working towards their health and fitness goals.
I called it the Exercise Accountability Group.
Over the years, the Exercise Accountability Group has now grown to nearly 60 members strong from all over the world!
Last month (March 2015) we agreed to do a meet up in New Orleans Louisiana. The meet up was open to all group members. Several of the members even participated in a race the morning of the meet up.
Heading to the meet up that night I was a little nervous, actually that is a lie, I was really nervous. :)
Many of the people who were going to be there had been clients of mine for a long time, yet I had never met any of them in person. Thoughts ran through my mind... What would they think of me? Would I live up to their expectations? Did I have enough bad jokes to tell to last the night? What if they did not recognize me? What if no one showed??!?!!
My nerves were quickly eased as Exercise Accountability group members began to show up. First there was one, then two and eventually there were many. Conversation lasted well into the wee hours (we finally were kicked out of the bar about 1am).
For me it was such a joy to hear everyone's stories about all their adventures they had been having in New Orleans, as well as learning more about some of the members and their life journeys. It meant a lot to me to be able to be there with them as they celebrated the race they had run earlier that day.
Often, throughout the night, I found myself feeling a tremendous sense of pride in all the people present as they shared more of their story with me. There were a lot of smiles, laughs, and tears, as I got to learn more and more about the journey's many had been on and what they have overcome in their life.
When I found a spare moment to myself (usually when I went to the bathroom, which I did a lot on account of the Coors Lite's I was drinking), I could not wipe the smile off my face. Several years ago I had had an idea to create an environment where a group of like minded people could come together, support, encourage, and inspire one another on their individual fitness journey's.
Fast forward to present day, here I was, meeting up with members of that group who had traveled 1000's of miles to gather in NOLA and celebrate all their accomplishments thus far!
The photos below do not illustrate the journeys so many of these amazing people have been on. I could spend hours talking about and bragging about all of them. Since the group is an Exercise group I'll leave you with one amazing fact:
The combined weight loss of the people pictured in the group photo is nearly 800lbs!!! Amazing and Inspiring.
With all my heart I want to thank everyone who has been a part of the Exercise Accountability Group thus far (or is a friend or family member supporting one of the members) and helping me to make one of my dreams come true. An extra big thanks goes to all the members, and their friends, who made the trip to NOLA.
It was an amazing night that I will never forget. I will always and forever hold the memories of that night in a very special place in my heart.
P.S. we are always looking for new members to join the Exercise Accountability Group. Only qualifications needed are to have a desire to make exercise and eating healthy a priority in your life. Click here to get more info and to sign up.
I wanted to share with you my experience watching the movie, "50 Shades of Grey," but before I get to that, I have one very important update to share with you.
One week from today is the start of the One Billion Steps in March challenge. Please please please invite your friends and family to participate in this event. To sign up, invite your friends, and learn all about the event, click here.
I have been hearing about the cultural phenomena "50 Shades of Grey" for 3 or 4 years now. During that time, several of my female friends have tried to get me to read the book. Two and a half years ago I decided I would. I was curious about what all the hype was about and what seemed to have so many women all excited. I made it through half of the book... I just couldn't seem to get into it.
Recently I was invited to watch the "50 Shades of Grey" movie. Again, my curiosity was perked as I had heard so many mixed things about it. Some were calling it erotic and liberating, others called it a set back for women claiming it glorified abuse and violence towards women.
I watched the movie and thought as a movie it was nothing more than Ok. I found it to be mildly entertaining and the chemistry between the two leads seemed forced at best.
I did not agree with the assertion that it glorified violence for women nor did I feel it was a setback, in fact I thought exactly the opposite. I found it refreshing to see a movie where it was ok for a woman to be open with exploring her sexuality. I also found it fascinating that both the movie and the books seemingly connected with so many women in this respect.
I consider myself to be a student of humanity, meaning I am always wanting to better learn and better understand people. I believe that the better I understand people the more effective it will make me at helping them. :)
Culturally it seems like it has always been ok for men to be strong, confident, and sexually open. Women, in popular culture, have not always had the same portrayal, with a few exceptions (Sharon Stone in "Basic Instinct" is one that comes to mind.)
I have been continually disappointed that we as a society seem to hold onto prevailing stereotypes between men and women when it comes to sexuality. It's ok in movies, in books, and in life for men to be sexually open and curious, but if women are they get the label of "slut" or some other nonsense.
While I did not think 50 Shades of Grey was the best movie, what I do think it did, and I am grateful it did this, was to present a strong female who showed it was ok for women to be sexual. Not only was it ok, it was fun, it was exciting, and it was ok for it to be those things.
Have you seen the movie, what do you think? Let me know, I am excited to hear your thoughts?
