I Believe....

Making things happen

noreply@blogger.com (Kyle) — Mon, 25 May 2009 15:36:00 +0000

Making things happen.

Hey guys, yonks ago I posted a video about having the courage to make things happen and although the video isn’t a piece of visual brilliance, the message was important. The message was to take a chance and make a change, the only way you can change your life is to make it happen.

Anyway, one of the members of my community made a fantastic point today when he left a comment (see the above link), saying it takes effort, guts and determination to make it work. He is absolutely right. He is also right when he say’s “I guess you don't have to make one massive change for you to notice the difference. -A series of small changes can have an equal if not more profound long term positive change a life-style.” This is really important; the smallest things can have a huge impact on the larger things. It’s really important that you don’t forget about the smaller changes you can make towards living the life you want, whether it’s buying the clothes you want, eating foods that make you feel good and doing things that you enjoy.

At this time of ‘economic downturn’ most people hold back on spending on the things that make them happy. The problem is that by holding back and ‘applying the breaks’ your thoughts shift from being positive and happy, to negative because we get bored, fed up and stressed chasing bills.

When your mentality shifts to being negative, your entire outlook becomes negative and negativity is drawn to you. However, if you try and remember that living is about now and experiencing the moment and enjoying now, spending your time (and money- within reason of course) on things that make you happy, you shift back into being positive and this can have a positive impact on your life.

A lot of people believe in the theory of thoughts becoming things and that if you focus on something enough, it sends out a message to the universe which causes that something to come into your life. I believe there is some truth in this, but my interpretation is different. I don’t believe that if I sit and think hard enough about a pot of gold, that it’ll suddenly appear in my living room. I do believe that by keeping the things that you want and that make you happy in the forefront of your mind, however, you will shift into a positive state and you will do whatever you can to make it happen.

I believe that the key to success is to focus on your goal, enjoy life and remain in a positive state. The best way to do this is to take your foot off the brakes, don’t listen to negative thoughts or let anything hold you back. By thinking and acting this way, you will take more action which will eventually lead you towards your ultimate goal and the life you aspire to.

So, think positive and make things happen!

billericaypersonaltrainer.com
KaiZen Personal Training free community

How will you be remembered?

noreply@blogger.com (Kyle) — Fri, 22 May 2009 11:20:00 +0000

How will you be remembered?

Over the last few weeks I’ve been sitting going over my own excellence again and again, trying to work out what’s been missing. You know when you get that annoying inner voice that tells you that something isn’t quite right and all it does is aggravate you? Well I’ve been having that. So, I’ve been sitting trying to work out exactly what it is and how I’m going to change it (don’t worry, I’m not having a moan here!)

So, I think I’ve finally got to the bottom of it and I’ve realised that over the last few months or so, I’ve been giving into my own fears of failure and hitting the breaks like a mad man heading for a cliff. Not just in my personal life, but in my business to.

Then it got me thinking, do I want to be remembered as a coward who didn’t have the balls to make his life his own and get what he wants? Hell no!

So, what do I want to be remembered for? I know this is a tad morbid, but when I eventually snuff it, I want to leave behind memories that will be carried on. Many ancient warriors believed that the secret to immortality lies in people remembering your name for centuries to come, so how will my name be remembered?

I want people to be remembered as a teacher. And I’m not talking about having the greatest knowledge or anything like that, but simply someone who was good at helping people find themselves and put them on the right path to their own success.

I want to be remembered as a martial artist. Perhaps not a world famous film star like Bruce Lee, but I want my name to be remembered my student’s student’s students, I want to be a roll model that in the years to come, people will look back and think I want to be like he was, the same way I look at my role models, both living and dead.

I want to be remembered as a great friend. A person who always makes time for people. A friend who cares and wants to make a difference, who will drop anything to be there when needed. Even if it’s just as someone who can listen, or advise and offer a perspective.

I want to be remembered as someone who made a difference to at least one person. I believe we are all here to share an experience, and the greatest experiences we can have are those where we see others flourish.

I want to be remembered as someone who wasn’t afraid to do what it takes to see things through, and not cower in fear, forever holding back. I want to be remembered as someone who wasn’t afraid to go full steam ahead and make things happen.

I want to be remembered for my compassion. Someone who never judges people for their past or mistakes, but did everything I possibly could to support and help that person, even when there’s nothing to be gained from doing so. Someone who’s not afraid to forgive.

I want to be remembered for honesty. To be thought of as someone who wasn’t afraid to hold back the truth, even if the truth was costly. To be someone that people could approach for an honest opinion, whether good or bad, but always objective. Someone who always let people know how he was feeling and not play games to manipulate them.

I want to be remembered as a source of positivity. Even when the chips are down, I want people to look back and think of me as someone who would never give up or be put down. Someone who sees the light in every dark situation, who creates solutions instead of dwelling on problems.

I want to be remembered as someone who lived in the now. A person who doesn’t dwell on the past or worry about the future, but simply was, here and now and could appreciate the world around him.

I want to be remembered as someone who loved life. A person who wakes up every day in awe at the bright blue sky, or the falling rain and feel grateful for the opportunity to experience creation and life.

I want to be remembered for my dedication and my commitment. Not only to training or my own goals in life, but to those of my friends, the people I work with, my family. I want to be remembered as someone who would always do his best to go that extra mile.

I want to be remembered as someone who had enough respect for people to allow them to make their own choices, and not to interfere, just simply be there when needed.

I want to be remembered as someone who has values and does his utmost every day to live by those values.

I want to be remembered as a man of honour, who is humble and chivalrous, but will do whatever it takes to protect that honour.

I want to be remembered for who I really am and what I really stand for. Simply someone who lived a happy life and did the best he could to pursue his dreams, no matter how far-fetched or unachievable they may have been.

Most importantly, I want to be remembered for being Kyle!

Not a tall order really, that little lot shouldn’t be too difficult... should it? Regardless of achieving it or not, It'll sure as hell be fun trying! I think I have some work to be doing if I’m going to achieve all that, so, on that note, I shall be cracking on with it.
How will you be remembered?

Kyle

billericaypersonaltrainer.com
KaiZen Personal Training free community

The stone cutter

noreply@blogger.com (Kyle) — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 13:39:00 +0000

Hey guys,

We all spend our days striving for more. Most of us slug our guts out on a
daily basis because there is always something we want that we don’t have. But how often do we actually sit back and appreciate what we already have? How many of us are really grateful for the fact that we have running water, a bed to sleep in, food on the table…?

We all spend our days rushing around trying to accumulate more, but missing what was right in front of us.

There’s an old Chinese story about a stone-cutter:

One day, while the stone cutter was working, a merchant passed through his town. The merchant looked wealthy; he had expensive clothes and jewellery and had his own horse and cart. The stone cutter thought to himself that day ‘I want to be a merchant’. So, he became a merchant.

He became a successful merchant and very wealthy. Then one day he saw a Lord passing through the town, being carried by a group of servants in his elegant box. Everyone bowed to the lord as he passed. The merchant thought to himself ‘I want to be a Lord’. So, he became a Lord.

The Lord had servants, wealth, land and power. One sunny day he looked up into the sky and saw the sun shining down. He realised that the sun gave life and warmth to the whole world, and was more powerful than anything he could fathom. He thought to himself ‘I want to be the sun’. He became the sun.

The sun shone brightly in the sky, until one day he was blocked from the land by large clouds. The clouds had the power to blot out the sun. So, the sun thought to himself ‘I want to be a cloud’. So, he became a cloud.

The cloud was high up in the sky, blocking the sun’s rays from reaching the Earth, until one day he was blown away by the wind. The cloud thought to himself, ‘the wind must be the most powerful force on Earth, I will become the wind’. So, he became the wind.

The wind blew with all his might, until one day he found something that he could not topple or move, no matter how hard he tried. It was stone. He thought to himself ‘Stone must be the most powerful thing on earth, as it cannot be shifted by the mighty wind. I will become stone’. He became stone.

One day, the mighty stone lay there, until a stone-cutter came along…

A daft story I know, but it has some meaning. Sometimes we need to take a step back and appreciate what we already have. We’re all so focused on what we don’t have, that life just passes us by, almost un-noticed, until one day we wake up and think to ourselves ‘what have I actually done with my life?’

Life is about living. Enjoy the moment and don’t get caught up over who has more, or how much you could have. Enjoy it now, while you can!

On that note, I’ve rambled enough!

Take care guys,

Kyle

billericaypersonaltrainer.com
KaiZen Personal Training free community

Apparently we all have self-destructive tendencies!

noreply@blogger.com (Kyle) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 22:27:00 +0000

Hey guys

we all seem to have a seriously annoying habit- myself included. When things go wrong we spiral into a void of negativity, denial and self doubt and I have to say, it seriously ticks me off!

I know things don't always go the way that we intended and yes it can be disheartening and painful, but really, does wallowing really get us anywhere? There are a couple of behaviours I tend to notice, there are three kinds of people:

1. The 'blame everyone except myself' type:

These are the people who live in complete denial about their own responsibilities in life. They bury their heads in the sand and they cannot accept the fact that their situation is the result of their own choices in life. These are the people with the chip on their shoulder who just blame everyone else for their misfortune and likewise they take it out on everyone else, even the people closest to them who try there best to help them out.

2. The 'i'll just beat myself to hell because i deserve it' type:

These people are the complete opposite- they blame themselves not only for their own problems, but for everyone elses as well. They become negative and depressed and end up not being able to remember why they are like it in the first place. They just hide away in the corner, taking shots at themselves for every minor little thing, instead of focusing on how they can make it better.

3. The 'just get on with it' type:

These people have more of the right idea. Instead of spending all their time getting worked up over what went wrong, they would rather spend their time doing what they can to make things right. Though it's not always that black and white, as these people do still have tendencies to slip in to types 1 and 2, though generally they can accept that circumstance is a matter of choice.

I know I'm having a bit of a rant here, and I appreciate that my descriptions may seem a little harsh, but when you get to the crux of it, most of the people in this world who are miserable are because they choose to be, because they choose not to take responsibility to do something about it!

People seem to have developed this addiction to pain, they can't get enough of it! People are also too quick to go for short term gratification, especially with relationships.

How many of us have been in a relationship, for example, that deep down we know isn't working and all it really does is cause pain and anguish, but we can't let go because we are afraid of the short term pain it will cause? I've done it. Hell, I have to admit I've done it more than once!

I put my hands up to it.

But I also learned from it and now I have the wisdom and the courage not to do the same again. I have learned to take responsibilty for myself.

I have also learned that focusing on negativity and failure only brings more failure, so feeling sorry for myself gets me nowhere. That doesn't mean I don't feel or experience pain, I feel it alright. But at the same time I don't like it so I won't cling on to it. i will do my best to learn and move on.

We only get one shot at this experience.

How do you want to spend it? Feeling sorry for yourself, or making the most of it?

On that note, rant over!

Kyle

billericaypersonaltrainer.com
KaiZen Personal Training free community

School packed lunch inspections...

noreply@blogger.com (Kyle) — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 14:01:00 +0000

Hey guys,

in the news this week there has been some controversy about a school inspecting the contents of children's luch boxes, to stop them brining junk food in to school. Now my views are a little mixed on this one. In some aspects I think it is a good idea, as I think it's really important to educate kids and their parents the importance of healthy diet, and develop good eating habbits. I think the current standard of education is a joke, and these so called government guide lines aren't worth the paper they are printed on. Money needs to be spent on drumming in the negative health effects of poor diet and teach people what a healthy diet should really consist of.

Unfortunatley, we live in a society where convenience rules, but at what cost? People are sacrificing the health of themselves and their children in order to make life easier or because it's cheaper! Come on people, when are we going to realise that our health is the most precious thing we have? When will society realise that that c**p we are being sold is just filling the pockets of the greedy and keeping them wealthy and powerful!

We are all guilty of it, but what we need is more emphasis and help to develop healthier lifestyles... but unfortunately, and this may sound cynical, the rich want to keep us unhealthy!

Do you have any idea how many billions of pounds the drug and pharmecutical companies are worth? While people still smoke, eat rubbish, poison ourselves with alcohol, stress over money and material goods,all we are doing is filling their pockets! We've fallen into a trap, we are provided with the means to make ourselves ill and are led to believe it is all part of a normal life, then we pay those who are profiteering by putting us there for help!!!

Sorry, I've gone off on a tangent there.. but hopefully you see my point. I believe in education. However I'm not sure on the spot inspections are the way forward, I think it's counter productive. We are becoming too much of a p.c nanny state as it is and kids will rebbel. I think that schools money should be provided to schools for free, healthy school dinners, so that from the first day a child goes to school, that is the norm, and it helps to develop good habits from an early age. But the first thing people will say is the cost, it's impractical... my question to you is, who are these people that make cost an issue, and what pies do they have their fingers in?

Anyway, rant over! I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on this...

Have a good day guys

Kyle

billericaypersonaltrainer.com
KaiZen Personal Training free community

Becoming your highest vision of yourself part 3

noreply@blogger.com (Kyle) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 08:43:00 +0000

Hey guys, yesterday I spoke about making the decision to take action on your goals and indentifying the potential ‘barriers’ which may hold you back. So, how did you get on with that? What did you actually manage to find as a genuine reason not to take action? I’m betting for most of you, it wasn’t particularly easy and you probably found nothing, other than reasons you may not want to.

So, what’s next then?

It’s simple really. The next phase is to make an action plan and come up with strategies that will enable you to turn your goals from an idea into a reality. Before we do anything else, I want you to go back to phase one and focus on that feeling you had of being the you of your dreams. Remind yourself of what it is you are actually after.

Ok, now let’s look at this with specific goals in mind. To help you along, I’m going to give you a complete breakdown of my own personal goals, and my ‘barriers’ a.k.a my excuses, and how I will implement strategies to overcome them.

Kyle’s goals:

1. To gain one inch around my chest to get me to 44”
2. Add half an inch to my shoulders and arms
3. Get my waist line from a 32” to a 30”
4. Be able to squat 140kg for 6 reps
5. Be able to clean and press 40kg for 8-10 reps
6. Be anaerobically fit enough to last 10x3min rounds of bag work
7. Get body fat down to 10%

The highest vision of myself is to not only look fit and strong, but actually be able to perform as a martial artist. I need to be fit, strong and fast in order to be ‘competition fit’, even though competition is not my motivation. My motivation is that I am fit and strong enough to protect myself if I have to, and to live a happy, healthy lifestyle illness free.

What action do I need to take in order to reach those goals?

Training:

I need to be training at least 5 days per week, with a structured, periodized plan. I will need to follow the “KaiZen principles” for at least 6 weeks in order to progress safely and effectively.

Nutrition:

I will need to go on a complete elimination diet for at least a month, not only to help strip fat, but also give my body the nutrition it needs to help me recover and repair after the high demands of training.

Lifestyle:

I need to ensure that I am getting plenty of quality sleep and have a regular routine, so that my body can adapt and recover effectively. I need to keep hydrated. I need to continue to pursue my passion, which is progressing in martial arts, to keep me motivated. I need to keep my work up to date so I do not get overwhelmed and end up feeling stressed.

What are my potential ‘barriers’, or excuses, and how will I get around them?

1. I love my food!!!

I’m not afraid to admit I love food, even the stuff that’s not necessarily what my body needs. If I have to go on elimination for a month, then I need to make preparations for it. First of all empty the cupboards of anything that isn’t approved, and stock up on stuff that is. I can’t eat it if it’s not there! The next thing to do is write myself a variety of meal plans, so that I get plenty of variety. Not only does that stop me from getting bored, it also stops me from lacking any nutrients. The rest of it from there is pure will. How much do I want to be fit, strong and injury free?

2. I do long days and get very tired…

This is where I have to plan my days and my training time efficiently. My big problem is that if I want to continue my Martial arts, I have to accept that on at least three nights a week, I won’t be in bed until at least 11. I have to discipline myself not to stay up any later then I have to. I also need to plan my training so that it is during my dead time between clients. That way I can plan for an afternoon ‘siesta’ on most afternoons…

3. I get very busy and have little time for training…

I have to plan workouts accordingly. I can do a wicked and effective circuit in 30 minutes, so I can do it on a lunch break. It’s not a massive chunk of my day. As long as I use the time efficiently it’ll be effective.

Now I know these may not necessarily relate to you, as my lifestyle is probably very different to yours. I don’t have a 9-5 job and I have a little more freedom in terms of how I plan my day. But this really shouldn’t be that much of an advantage.

The key is planning.

You need to plan everything in advance, in every detail. That way it’s all laid out for you so you know exactly what you have to do, and that your strategies are in place. Once everything id planned and in place, you can then hold yourself accountable for not taking action.

So here’s your next task, create an action plan. What will you eat? How and when will you train? How will you fit it all in to your lifestyle? How can you get your friends and family to support you? Plan it carefully and if you need some help, ask for it! If you have to invest some money, whether it’s new clothes, a trainer, new equipment, don’t be afraid to spend it.

There are two things you can never get back, time and energy.

If you are investing your time and energy into getting an outcome, then you need to make sure you are getting the mot from your investment, even if it means investing money somewhere. Here’s something else you need to keep in mind:

You have to take action on your plans for it to work.

It’s as simple as this. You can have all the will and intent in the world. You can have planned every meticulous detail, but if you don’t actually follow through on it then you won’t get the outcome!

That’s not meant to sound patronizing guys, it’s just a simple truth that needs a little re-iteration. It’s the action you take that get’s you the outcome you desire. It all comes back to wanting. Wanting something will only bring you more wanting. You have to take action and start living as the highest vision of yourself. Once you start living it, you’ll start to get the results.

So here is what you need to remember from this, your sequence to success if you like.

Focus on the Feeling
Feeling leads to decisions
Decisions lead to action
Action leads to outcomes

I hope you’ve found this little series useful and at least got some ideas about how you can achieve your goals.

Just remember that it’s all down to you taking action.

On that note, take care and good luck!

Kyle

billericaypersonaltrainer.com
KaiZen free online community

Becoming your highest vision of yourself Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Kyle) — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 15:47:00 +0000

Yesterday I spoke about focusing on what you see as your highest vision of yourself, and how that focus can create a feeling. I asked you how it felt to imagine yourself as that highest vision. Did you do it? How did it feel? Is that how you want to feel all the time? An obvious question really, otherwise it wouldn’t be your highest vision of yourself would it…

Wanting to feel comfortable, confident and happy is a pretty big motivation to make it happen. So how much do you want it? Now you have an idea of how it can feel, you now need to decide that you are going to take action, and what action you are going to take.

Before you can decide, obviously you need all the information. How will you achieve your goal? How long will it take? What will it cost me? And most importantly, what will I have to do? Now for the purposes of this article, we are talking about weight loss, but the principles will relate to any goal, personal or business. It’s important to remember at this point, that in order to take action, you need to get all the information quickly. Don’t put it off or you’ll never do it!

So you’ve decided that you want to drop two dress sizes, tighten up your stomach and boost your energy and vitality.

Everyone knows that to do this you have to exercise more and eat right, right? It’s a fairly simple concept that we all know. So what’s stopping you? What are your barriers? Work or family commitments tend to be a common factor for most people. You work all day and by the time you get home, you can’t be bothered to work out, or you’re too tired. And your diet… well let’s be honest, most of us are addicted to our current lifestyles.

The truth is this. If you are not feeling the way you should in your highest vision of yourself, then what you are doing is not working!

So, now we’ve established that what you are doing is not working, we have to work out what changes you need to make.

Do you need more exercise?

Do you eat too much refined or processed foods?

Do you drink too much?

Do you smoke?

Do you sleep enough?

How do you implement change to a demanding lifestyle? Let’s go back to focusing on that feeling… Does that feeling feel worth a little effort?

Making change isn’t always easy and you’ll have a number of barriers to face. You have to look at it this way, short term difficulty for long term success and happiness? Or, short term gratification for long term mediocrity at best? I know that sounds kind of harsh, but the truth is, life is what you make it. If you pursue happiness and live your life devoted to becoming your highest vision of yourself, you will be happy. If you don’t, you won’t.

Now everybody’s highest vision of themselves is unique to them. Not everyone has visions of grandeur. The important thing is that what ever they do go after, it serves them and makes them happy.

The key point at this stage is that you identify the barriers and decide to take action. Here are some examples of the barriers that my weight loss clients have had to face in the past:

“I love my food too much. I find it hard to give up sweets”

“I work long hours and I struggle to make time for the gym”

“I can’t eat regularly enough because of work”

“I find it difficult to follow diets when I’m cooking for my family”

“I find going to the gym boring”

“I can’t afford gym membership or PT”

I think you get the idea. I want you to have a look at all of the above statements closely. What is the common link?

They’re all excuses!

That sounds harsh I know, but let’s face it they are. People are too quick to complain about why they can’t do something, instead of developing strategies to make it happen. Now I’m not saying it isn’t difficult to apply these changes, far from it. But it’s not as impossible as people seem to think.

Let’s recap. You have had the desire to change something about yourself, as you’re not feeling that you are the highest vision of yourself, as you see it. You have imagined what it would be like to feel like the person you want to be, and it has (hopefully) encouraged you to make a decision to change.

So here’s what I want you to do today.

I want you to work out what it is that you need to change, and then work out what it is that’s stopping you from making that change. However, I don’t want any excuses, I want genuine reasons other than “it’s too hard”, or “I don’t want to”. I bet you’ll be hard pressed to find very many.

Once you have worked out what needs to be changed, we can then produce an action plan to make things happen, which will be the subject of tomorrow’s post.

In part 3, I will talk about developing strategies that will help you to overcome your barriers, and help you take one step further towards your goal.

Until then, have a good one guys!

Kyle

billericaypersonaltrainer.com
KaiZen free online community

Becoming your highest vision of yourself Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Kyle) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 17:21:00 +0000

I was chatting to a client this morning, and we were talking about how we tend to see ourselves differently to how everyone else sees us. Everyone has a vision of their perfect self, but how many of us feel that we are living that vision?

How many of you are, or have been gym members? What is it that made you join up? Nearly 99.9% of the time when I ask people this question, they tell me “I want to lose weight and git fitter”. What does that actually mean?

We are getting to the time in the year where the crazy season of new years resolutions are dying out, and people are starting to get bored of the gym because they are not getting the results they think they want, or they think they should be getting.

Here’s a simple truth. All those people who get bored, get bored because they don’t really know what it is they want, or how to get it.

We’ve all stood there and looked in the mirror at some point on our lives and said “I wish I had a flatter stomach”, or “Why can’t I get rid of my bingo wings?” We all have an idea of who it is we want to be, and how it is we want to look. The problem is, for most people they only think of it as a pipe dream.

It really doesn’t have to be, you can be that person!

The next time you look in the mirror, instead of wishing you looked different, imagine that you are. Close your eyes and pretend that you are that highest vision of yourself you have been dreaming of. Really focus on who this person is, in great detail.

What kinds of clothes are you wearing?

How would you wear your hair?

How does it feel to be that person?

What kinds of activities does this version of you enjoy?

What kind of fragrance do you wear?

Now you can see this new version of yourself, how does it make you feel? On an emotional level,

Is the new you happy?

Do you feel confident?

Do you feel positive?

Do you enjoy looking at yourself in the mirror (I don’t mean that like ‘Cat’ from Red Dwarf, I simply mean do you like what you see?)

On a physical level,

How do your clothes feel?

How do your arms feel when you touch them?

Does your stomach feel firm?

Do you feel energetic?

How does your skin feel?

How do all those aches and pains you may get feel as your perfect self?

What can you hear around you?

Does being this person open more opportunities for you? For example, do you like to play football but run out of breathe after running on to the pitch? Do you see yourself running the marathon? Or do you just feel stronger when lifting things at work, or perform better in the gym?

Your focus and feelings will determine how you reach your outcome, so it’s really important that you focus on who it is you are trying to be, or more importantly, who it is you really are. Your highest vision of yourself is the real you, so you need to really focus on that end result. It’s like reverse engineering a problem. Start with the end in mind.

I have gone through this process myself, and here is my grandest vision of myself…

How do I look?

Hair- Short and neatly trimmed, styled to look slightly ruffled and spiked, but not to the extreme.

Face- Clean shaven, with good skin, no bags under the eyes or blemishes

Physique- Well defined, slightly built but athletic looking. I will look fit and strong

Hands and feet- Clean, short and neat fingernails and toenails (for matwork and martial arts)

How do I dress?

At work: Always looking professional, with a black, neatly pressed polo shirt. Smart black combat trousers, or even shorts in the summer, but not “short shorts” or sporting shorts. Shorts that are a similar style to my combat bottoms. In the winter I would have a black embroidered sweater to keep warm. Black trainers that are indoor only trainers, so they are always clean and not scuffed, prefferably flat soled (Lonsdale) Everything looks new, well maintained and clean, and appropriate to the job.
During martial arts sessions, always a well maintained, clean, pressed Gi, or Black training bottoms and an embroidered T-shirt.

At home: Smart casual, but comfortable clothes. Loose fit Jeans (Bench), a darker colour blue or grey, with a Belt. T-shirts (such as Deisel shirts) that are a comfortable fit, both long and short. Everything is new or very well maintained. Nothing is scruffy or faded. New trainers (K-Swiss) or shoes, depending on comfort.

Social: On a social occaision, depending on the occaision, I will wear a smart shirt (French connection perhaps), Smart dark jeans, and A smart jacket, preferably tailor made, With smart black or brown shoes, depending on the shirt, which are shiny and not scuffed.

Events/Open days: Any time I have to be at an important function, I will wear a smart, black suit, with a crisp white shirt and a smart coloured tie, with polished black shoes.

How do I feel?

I will feel confident and successful. I will be very positive and certain within myself. I will be happy with myself and how I live because I follow my passion and my dreams. I will wake up every morning feeling grateful for who I am and what I have. I will focus on the positivity of every situation. I will look at myself and see a smile reflected back at me. I will feel proud, because I know that everything I do is in the pursuit of my grandest vision of myself.

Tomorrow I will talk about how you can take action on becoming the real you, but for now, I want you to really focus on who that is. Really get a clear image in your head, and write it down. Share it with the rest of us, tell us who you really are and how it feels to be you!

Kyle

billericaypersonaltrainer.com
KaiZen free online community

Fighting the recession

noreply@blogger.com (Kyle) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 18:32:00 +0000

Hey guys,

here's a press release I've just put out...

Essex Trainer Challenges The Rescission

The world is being hit by a financial crisis, or at least that is what the media is constantly bombarding us with. Everywhere you look you are hit with the news that another company has gone into administration and people are being laid off. This constant negativity is creating fear within the global community and only making things worse. Billericay based Personal Trainer, Kyle Hargreaves, is fighting back against the negative spin.

Billericay, Essex, February 2008 – Leading Essex Personal trainer Kyle Hargreaves, is fighting back against the negativity of global recession. Hargreaves, 23, Is based in Billericay, Essex and has recently set up on his own as an independent trainer. After leaving a large commercial gym, which guaranteed him work, he says that anyone can change their circumstances for the better. Some would think that he is mad, going from an environment where there is constantly work available with minimal effort, into an environment where he has to find and convince people to part with their cash, especially at this time of global recession. “The real problem at the moment is that when ever we open a newspaper or turn on the news, we are being constantly bombarded with negativity” says Hargreaves. “Every morning I briefly catch the news and usually a business report and it’s all doom and gloom. You rarely hear news of people being successful.”

“It was only yesterday the news was filled with workers being laid off from a major car manufacturer, and another large bank being bailed out by the government. It’s this constant news every day that generates fear. People are afraid to spend their money because they are afraid of losing their jobs, or their money drying up.”
Despite all of this, at the end of December 2008, Hargreaves left a large gym chain to go it alone. He left a position where he had a good client base and a regular income to start from scratch. With the world in the current financial state, some would call that a bold move.

“I know it seems a bit crazy,” Hargreaves explained, “but I honestly believe that a lot of the cause of the current situation is psychological. People still have money, and most people still have good jobs. Although unemployment is up, the truth is it’s only affecting a fraction of the population. The problem is fear, which is natural when there is uncertainty. What we need to do is stop giving in to the fear and not be afraid to live our lives.”

Everyone is making cut backs at the moment, that’s been made very clear with the last year’s retail figures. Hargreaves believes that while this continues, industries will continue to suffer and the problem will only increase. He believes that people should be encouraged to start spending again, even if it’s cautiously, to help give industries a little kick.

Hargreaves is adamant that he will not live in fear of things going wrong. It is his philosophy that everyone is responsible for their own situation. The solution to the problem is in taking action. He encourages people to continue living their lives spending on the things they enjoy. Just not beyond their means. With people keeping their wallets tightly sealed in the current financial climate, can people really afford a luxury service such as Personal training?

According to ‘The information centre’, the NHS found that 24% of all adults in the UK were classified as Obese in 2006, and that number is steadily rising. Hargreaves believes that the situation will be exacerbated by people cutting back on buying healthy foods and spending money on physical activities and pass-times.
“People consider healthy eating and exercise to be a luxury. I consider it a necessity. You can have all the money in the world, but if you are particularly unfit or ill, it’s difficult to enjoy it. One of the big issues with ‘tightening the belt’, is that people will cut back on exercise. They think they can’t afford to go to that sport’s club or gym. The next thing they do is shop in the economy section of the supermarket. Now they are not getting enough exercise or eating right. Eventually their health will begin to deteriorate over time. Stress increases and their ability to work is impeded. I know this is an extreme example, but it does happen. Just look at the figures for obesity and hypo-kinetic diseases.”

“People are far too quick to fire off excuses as to why they don’t do things. The biggest excuses are time and money. I don’t have the time and I can’t afford this. The truth is, people don’t really believe in being healthy. People believe in convenience. Their attitudes need to change. As a society we believe in having everything done for us and we get disappointed when that doesn’t happen. The quickest way to make change is to take action. Stop living in fear and follow what it is you desire, committing yourself to it 100 percent. If your dream is to have a body like Brad Pitt, change your eating habits and exercise more. It’s the only way you can make it happen. Instead of finding reasons not to, find ways of making it happen.”

Hargreaves goes on to say, “I strongly believe in the power of positive thought. We all have dreams and goals. Mine is to be successful in my business and to help educate people how to live a healthy lifestyle and to teach martial arts. The only way that will ever happen is to take action and have a little faith. Things don’t come easy, and my first few months have been tough. I still continue to work hard and now things are very much on the up. I have more clients and projects under way that are looking to be potentially lucrative. I’m very pleased with my progress and it’s all starting to pay off, and all this after starting up a business during the worst recession the country has seen in decades.”

For additional information on how to set yourself goals and achieve them, or more information on health and fitness, you can email Kyle Hargreaves at kungfu_kyle@hotmail.com, or alternatively visit his website at http://www.billericaypersonaltrainer.com and read his blog posts.

About Martial Arts and Personal Training
Kyle is a leading exercise and Martial Arts coach, and has been involved in the fitness industry for 4 years, and been training in martial arts for most of his life. In that time he has worked with a number of people from all walks of life and helped them to achieve their health and fitness goals, from losing weight, to sport’s performance. Most notably, he has coached a student to international jujitsu success, winning a gold medal in Belgium 2007, and helped a client eliminate knee pain that she suffered for over 10 years in less than a month.

Contact:
Kyle Hargreaves
Martial Arts and Personal Training
Yushikai academy
Unit 14A (behind APEX house), Radford Crescent, Billericay, CM12 0DG

billericaypersonaltrainer.com

Kyle's views on the credit crunch...

noreply@blogger.com (Kyle) — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 09:00:00 +0000

Hey guys,

I've been listening to the radio quite a bit in the mornings this week while I've been at work, and on Monday Peter Jones (from Dragon's Den) was talking about this so called recession and how we can get ourselves out of it. I have to say, I agree with what he said. There is a big problem which is one of the big culprits of this recession...

Fear.

People are frightened of spending because they are worried about their jobs and paying the bills. The problem is, it's this fear of spending which is having a negative impact on industry and causing the job cuts etc. Yes a lot of it is down to the banks lending money to people who couldn't pay it back and people living out of their means, but a lot of what has really caused it is scare mongoring.

When was the last time you picked up a newspaper, or heard on the news some positivity about the whole situation? And how many times have you heard 'the worst financial crisis in so many years...' 'thousands of job cuts', 'House prices falling' or 'company in administration' and so on? We are bombarded with negativity and people telling us how bad it is, instead of offering solutions.

How often have you heard over the last couple of weeks that the banks are lending to new businesses again? How about SKY producing a thousand new jobs? Or hear some about companies actually prospering? A U.S steel company is boasting about their profits. What about the fact that people's money is now secured? You don't, or at least you can hardly find it with all of the spin.

Positivity does not sell papers, it's not 'news'. People are addicted to pain, they are drawn to it. They resent people who are successful, they want to hear about failure because of their own fear to change their lives. People choose to live in fear and fuel the fires of negativity. There is always a choice. No matter how dire you feel your situation is, there is always a solution.

I was listening to a couple of guys having a moan earlier about the insane ammounts of cash that professional footballers get paid- the particular player in question is on £150k per week. They were talking about how rediculous the sums of money they are paid to kick a ball around. Yes, I agree that it is an insane ammount of cash to pay them and the world's views on money are completely screwed up. People in care industries or that have essential skills are paid pittence, while these footballers are on enough money to feed a third world country- but before we continue to rant about it, let's think about why they are paid so much. They are paid silly sums of money because society puts them on a pedestal. These guys having the discussion were both wearing their team's shirts. Football has a massive following, and millions of fans are more interested in team politics than they are about the rest of the world. They pay for a new shirt every season, they buy memoribelia and pay a lot of money to see games. While society has a collective conciousness to idolize players, they will continue to reap the benefits.

It's the same principle with the recession. While our collective concious focuses on being afraid, things will not improve. We are putting this recession an a pedestal and building it a following, fueling the negativity. To get out of this we need a major shift in our conciousness. We need to stop being afraid and live life the way we want to. That's not to say live beyond your means, but don't be afraid to make the best of what they have. Don't scrimp every penny in fear- use it.

So, let's do somthing about this, let's 'stick it to the man' and live the lives we want to live!

I'm starting a discussion on this over at my community so get on over and give us your point of view!

Don't live in fear!

Kyle

billericaypersonaltrainer.com

Think your way to your results

noreply@blogger.com (Kyle) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 22:52:00 +0000

Hey guys,

I want to just spend a few minutes putting an idea into your head.I hear all to often (and I'm guilty of it too) the words 'i want' from people. I want to lose weight, I want to make more money, I want this and I want that.

We are all entitled to 'want' things, but it's by this way of thinking, the 'wanting' itself, is exactly what pushes those things away from us. Wanting gives you one thing- exactly what you are asking for, more wanting.

We all have the power to create, almost unlimited power to create the experience of our highest vision of ourselves, but so many of us squander it and don't experience our grandest vision of ourselves. That's not to say that we should all try and aspire to be great in the eyes of the masses, what everyone else thinks is irrelevant. If your highest vision of yourself is living a life with little material goods, or being rich and famous, a prophet, a teacher, a bin-man, it really doesn't matter, as long as it serves you.

Now here is where the shift in thinking should come in. We are three part creative beings- spirit, body and mind. Our spirit is where our highest vision of ourselves lies, it is where your initial thoughts and feelings come from. Our mind is there to work out how, to begin and how to do, the body is the physical body which makes it happen in the physical reality, in our reality.

So, instead of want something, or thinking 'i want', try thinking of it this way-' I choose to be / I choose to have / I will be / I will have'

Think about actually having something and focus on making it happen, instead of just wanting it.

Give it go, change the way you think. Use that creative power you have and make it happen, instead of just wanting it!

On that note, I'm off to bed!

Kyle

billericaypersonaltrainer.com

A sad start to 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Kyle) — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 22:34:00 +0000

Hey everyone,

the new year is here, and I have to say I'm looking forward to the year ahead. There is going to be a lot of good things coming my way this year for me I hope, but unfortunately, I have to start 2009 with some sadness.

I am sad to say my grandfather passed away earlier this week, which has made the start of the new year difficult for my family and myself. However, as much sadness as it brings to loose someone we love, I am trying to focus on celebrating him and the life he lived, as opposed to focusing on his passing.

He was always a character, I always remember stories my dad told me about him from his childhood, where they used to go hunting, fishing and driving. One particular story that sticks to mind is the story of my dad and his brother as young teenagers, driving a car through a field in wales with my grandad strapped to a deck-chair on the roof hunting rabbits! Inventive or what!

On a more serious note, he was a good man, a caring man who worked hard all of his life. He served his country in times of war and spent time in Asia touring with the forces. He will be sorely missed by us all. His last few years were tough for him, he spent most of 2008 in and out of hospital, so we can take some comfort in that he is no longer suffering and can be at peace.

Personally I am a bit of a spiritual soul, and I believe that his soul will find peace having remembered who he really was, and he will always be with us and a part of us.

What can I take from what has happened? What can the rest of my family take from this? I believe he led a life that is a good example for us all. He worked hard his whole life to provide for his family. He battled illness bravely for many years, he had a stroke many years ago and you would never know it. He helped raise two hard working, devoted sons who continue to carry his mantle, and of course he was a kind and loving grandfather.

So, I would like to start 2009 with a celebration of the life of my old grandad, to be there for my family in their time of grief, and most importantly, follow the example he laid out for me by working hard to build the life that will bring me happiness and help me to remember who I really am, and be a positive example in the lives of others.

I really hope 2009 is a good year for you all, and thank you for reading : )

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Kyle

billericaypersonaltrainer.com

New year's Resolutions

noreply@blogger.com (Kyle) — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 16:32:00 +0000

Hey Guys,

Christmas has now been and gone for another year, and the new year lingers just around the corner. That means it's time for the good old New Year's resolution!
We all do it, every year, no let's just be honest for one second, do you ever stick to it? What was your resolution for 2008? Get fit? Eat healthier? Spend more time doing something or not doing something?

The problem I tend to find with New Year's resolutions is that people say they are going to do something just so they have a resolution, but they have no real intention of actually seeing it through- otherwise they would!

Ok I know it doesn't apply to everyone, I am only referring to the masses here, not the minorities.

So, this year I am going to set you a challenge, a little dare. We are going to make a resolution for the new year, but we are going to start it today with the future in mind!

Let's start with this. What is it you want the most from 2009? A healthier body? A new car? Maybe that trip abroad you've always thought about. Got something in mind? Think big, don't be shy!

Got it? Good, now write it down- make it real. Go on, do it now and put it somewhere you can always see it and refer to it regularly.

Now, what do you actually need to do to get it? Do you need more money? Or time? Or is it just a little more commitment from yourself?

Whatever it is now is the best time to start taking action to get whatever it is you want, because if you don't you won't get it!

Remember you need to take action to reach your goals, but always keep the end goal in mind! Now go and get it : )

Have a fantastic 2009!

Kyle

billericaypersonaltrainer.com

My 'Journey'

noreply@blogger.com (Kyle) — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 10:07:00 +0000

Hey boys and girls,

I'm sitting here this morning trying to have another one of my little 'soul searching' sessions. Things are kind of hitting the fan this month, I'm in the frustrating position of trying to transist between the old and the new. I really really want to cut loose and start my new life and it's only 17 days away. The problem lies in survivng December, my bank balance is taking a serious hit... ok, ok I'm complaining and that's counter-productive and boring. If I'm being really honest here, I am really excited about starting at the new place in January, but at the same time I'm seriously 'bricking it', for lack of a better expression. I'm dealving into the unknown without my comfort blanket and it's a little nerve-racking. That all being said it's the most motivating an exhillerating feeling... odd huh?

I was reading something earlier that kinda got me thinking a bit. It was talking about our journey and cultivating through learning etc etc, and it just got me thinking a bit. It got me thinking about the events in my life that have brought me to this point, the actions that I have or haven't taken that have brought me to this point, and of course, the things I intend to do in future to get to the point I aim to be at.

I don't know if you are one of the guys who read my beliefs post I put up a couple of weeks ago, but if you did, you'll remember the bit I said about experience and oppertunity. I very strongly believe in this, and as I look back over things that I have done in the past, it really hits this home for me. Let me tell you about it again.

I believe that we are on this earth to experience who we are and create who we want to be. Everything that happens to us in our lives is an experience that we have created for ourselves (we are totally responsible for everything that happens to us, whether we choose to accept it or not) and every experience is an oppertunity for us to realise who we really are.

Every experience presents us with a choice, and it's the choices that we make that allow us to experieince who we are and the experiences we will have in future.

Ok, so, now we have that in mind, I want to go over a few of the choices I have made in my life that have got me here today, a review of my journey, if you like (cue harp music and blurry dream-like state...).

I'll start off re-winding 10 years or so (well, 9 actually) to the tender age of 14. I think it was this time I was choosing my options at school. I had my heart set on being an artist, specifically a cartoonist and concept designer for video games and comic books. I was one of the geeky kids in school. I had no real interest in football os standing around outside shop doors all night, I was quite content with sitting in, doing my homework, being a good kid and drawing. So, naturally the options I had picked were art and graphic design and so on.

Anyway, the point being I had chosen that as my path. About a year prior to that, I used to get bullied by a certain someone who eventually got excluded, but the big turn around there was the day I stood up for myself. One day he pushed me too far and I grabbed him and slammed him against a wall with my hand around his throat. Not my proudest moment, I'll admit, but he pushed me for about two years, so it was only a matter of time before I 'grew a pair' again if you pardon the expression.

Now he wasn't the first person to bully me, in fact when I was still in primary school, I used to have to go to a child-minder with my sister. The child minder's son was about 4 years older than me and he made life hell for us both. When I eventually told my parents, they obviously stopped us from going there and my dad enroled me at a local karate school, to try and help rebuild my confidence.

That only lasted for a year or so, and for one reason or another (which I don't really remember) I stoppped going. I know it was quite close to the time my parents split, so it could have been to do with that... my god I'm digging some stuff up here!

My parents splitting, boy now there's an event. That had a profound impact on me, as it does with any kid of 8 or 9 years of age. I was heartbroken when my dad left, I took it really hard at first. I remember having to make a Christmas card at school for the family and refusing to write in it because I was so upset with my folks...

I became very reclusive after that. I didn't have many friends at school, I would just tend to stick to a little group. That kind of carried on through secondary school to. Don't get me wrong I made friends and got on with people, just only a handful. Even now I'm only really in contact with two people I went to school with.

Anyway, I seem to have digressed slightly. I guess what I'm getting from this is that I wasn't the most confident kid in the world and as a result of that I became a bit of a victim. Eventually the day came where I made a simple choice. I WOULD NOT BE A VICTIM ANYMORE!

Fast forward back to being 14 again. My dad offered me a chance to work with him on a Saturday as a trainee carpet fitter. I took him up on that. I didn't really get pocket money so the thought of having my own money was quite appealing. I didn't get paid much (mainly because I didn't do much...)but it was enough for a 14 year old. It was more than my mates were getting for paper-rounds etc. With this new-found spondoola (a.k.a money), I was keen to take up a martial art again. Then began my 'martial art journey'. I took up jujitsu.

For the first few months I started in the junior class, but soon found I was a bit too big (height wise) for the rest of the class, so my mum gave me permission to train in the adult class. I remember the first time I went to the seniors- two black belts before the class were beating the absolute **** out of eachother and I was thinking 'what have I gotten myself into?' Fortunatley they were very good with me. I was timid for quite a while, but I stuck with it and now the shoe tends to be on the other foot!

Over time, I started to get my first few belts and my confidence grew. I was rubbish at just about every sport or activity going (mainly because I found it boring), but this I could do and I enjoyed it. I felt that I had found something I was good at.

Then, at the age of 16 I wanted to learn more. I watched a couple of kung fu movies and decided I had to learn kung fu! So, I found a class.

It was a small class, and the instructor was very different to what I had expected, and there was someone else... a girl! :-S

I went back initially for the young lady (how sad), but I'm so glad I did, because I don't think I'll ever find another instructor quite the same, and a fighting system quite as effective.

I carried on with the JuJitsu and the Kungfu, I loved them both and the training really impacted me. It was getting me fitter, I felt I was achieving somthing and I met some new friends. My confidence shot through the roof! Although I like to think I always remaned at least a little humble...

The drawback was my school work. Although I did well at school, I know I didn't reach my full potential, because I was more interested in my martial arts, that was all I really cared about. I still loved to draw and I did all the time, but there were some big changes afoot.

This was the time where things really changed for me. One Sunday after training I asked said lady out on a date, and to my absolute shock, she said yes! As you can imagine I was buzzing!

Ah that fateful first date, and it was my first proper date. How romantic it was. We went to see 'XXX' (the Vin Diesel spy film in case Dave is reading this!)Kyle had a girlfriend!

Again, this did wonders for my schoolwork :-S. Although in all fairness, she was dedicated to her work and on many occaisions she tried to make me study to no avail! I was too busy trying to come up with new moves and trying to do that sodding jumping spinning kick!

Things were going well, I was head over heels, I was loving my training and I was doing ok at school (although by now it was 6th form). Then it all changed. She went to uni a year ahead of me. I found that really hard, we'd been together almost a year at this point and I was teenager after all.

I decided to occupy my new found free time with a new job. Part time cleaner at the school after hours. It was only two hours a night every week night, but I was still doing the Saturdays with my dad (and getting paid more because I did more)so I had money coming in. This meant more money for training! I tried a few other styles. I did a stint of Shotokan, but it wasn't for me (although funny enough I'm still good mates with the instructor and he's going to be a PT client in Jan), some Tae Kwon Do and a bit of kick-boxing. None of them did it for me. Then, cue next fateful moment.

I went to get a haircut one day, and the guy who was cutting my hair was a fellow jujitsu-ka! My introduction to Wednesday club, which is now my main club! I made loads of new friends and I began to make much better progression, as I was now training with a very senior instructor every week, who is also a very good friend of mine.

Going back to my college work, it was suffering. The passion for my drawing was dwindling day by day, my life was taking a new direction.

When I finished 6th form, my grades were ok, thay weren't brilliant, but they were ok. Here was one of the first big decisions I had to make, what do I do now? I was adament I wasn't interested in going to uni, I wanted to be a martial arts instructor. There was a drawback to that plan though- I wasn't a high enough grade and I was only 18. I also wanted to still be able to see my girlfriend- we were still together, 2 years and counting!

So, I got a job in London as a post-room messenger. I hated it. Although I had made some good friends there and we had a laugh, I felt like I had so much more potential and more to offer. I hated it there to be honest.

I had been there about 6 months when I got 'dumped' so to speak. That absolutley devastated me. Probably one of the lowest points in my life. I was nearly 19 years old and in a job with no future, and the one person I loved more than anything was gone. Sad times.

Anyway, one day I gave myself a kick up the backside. I decided Icould play it one of two ways. I could continue to wallow and hate my life, or, I could do something about it. I chose the latter thankfully. I knew the one thing that I truly loved was my martial arts and training. I had the brilliant idea I wanted to be a personal trainer.

I went on the interweb and got all the info I needed on waht I had to do, and I booked the course. I also decided I needed to get out of that environment, so, I got a part time job while I did my course. It was enough to pay my way and for my course, it was only as a store supervisor, but it was enough.

I finished my level 2 Gym and the went job hutning. At this point I also passed both of my black belt gradings (within 2 weeks of eachother) and I was on a serious high, probably one of my persoanl proudest achievments. Eventually came the day where LA fitness offered me a full-time instructor job! I couldn't believe my luck! Things were starting to take shape and go my way.

While working there I loved it at times and hated it at others. I loved working with people, I loved helping them, but I hated cleaning up after them. I knew P.T was the way forward for me. I did my level 3 and a year after joining LA I moved over to Personal training. I also started my first kungfu class. I was finally where I wanted to be, and I was doing well. I found myself wanting more though. I wanted to be a better trainer and I wanted to find a way of combining my M.A knowledge with my P.T training.

So, that brings me to the last year, phew, what a ride! When I started LA I met a very good friend. In fact, a brother. The guy is a legend, but I won;t mention his name, he knows who he is. He and I decided we both wanted the same things from our businesses (each with our own little twist of course) and we started putting together our plan for world domination. That is coming on slowly, but it looks more achievable every day. This year I took my 2nd dans, I also me Kate. Our relationship was always a bit of a different one, but I can safely say I think it's had a huge positive impact (despite a few ups and downs). She gave birth a few weeks ago, and ok, so the boy isn't biologically mine (she was already pregnant), but I don't see any problem there, only an oppertunity to live a happy and fulfilling life. All I say is the next one had better be mine! ; )

And now I'm taking another new step, to cut free from the saftey net of LA fitness. To go it alone and buil a business that is truly mine, and hopefully a massive step to said friend- nay brother and I having our own kick-ass dojo/studio. I've been finding out about my excellence, about my motivations and my desires and the last few weeks I have remembered who I am : )

If you stuck this out, then thank you. This wasn't intended to be a self-importance exercise, in fact most of this I hadn't even thought of writing. It just happened and it has been more for my own benefit. I have faith in myself agai. Sounds silly but I had some major douubts earlier. This has just reminded me of what I know I am capable of.

On that note I've been here long enough, time to go kick my ass and take some action!

Have a wicked day!

Kyle

billericaypersonaltrainer.com

My Inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (Kyle) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 23:40:00 +0000

This month has been a month of serious soul searching. I have finally found a lot of answers to some unanswered questions I have had, regarding life, love, success and so on and so forth. It has been amazing this past few weeks to rediscover who I am and what makes me tick. I have re-discovered what it is that inspires me to do waht I do.

For anyone that knows me, you'll know that my biggest passion in life is martial arts. I love 'em. I love studying the body and how it woeks, I love learning the fine points of technique, I love the addrenaline rush I get fighting off 4 other people in class, I even love the pain (wierd I know, i think it's a coping mechanism), but what I truly love is the lessons taught about life, and building that extended family.

Here is a true example of what I mean. I have a student who has been training with me for nearly two years, I won't mention his name, but for argument's sake I'll call him Mr.Savil (you know who you are!). I first met Savil while I was walking around the gym, and at first, I was very cautious around him. I would chat to him, he was a likeable guy, but at first, and I'll openly admit this, there was somthing about him I didn't trust. I spent a little time getting to know him and he was pretty much a jack-the-lad, always up for a good time, and dare I say it a tad selfish. His girlfriend had just had a baby and he stil hadn't given up all of his old habbits.

Then, one day he asked me about kung fu, and what I did and so on. I told him about it and he was keen to give it a go. At first I was unsure. I never teach people I don't trust (at least not the good stuff anyway). I decided to give him a free session and show him a few basics. He was so taken with what we did, that he offered to pay me a substantial ammount of money for personal training. I said to him that we should start a bit slower at first, to make sure it was right for him, so we did. As we trained he would tell me about his 'shinanigins' and one day he turned round and said to me that he couldn't wait to find someone and use what I had taught him against this person.

At that point I stoppped the lesson and said we're done, and that i wouldn't teach him any more and that I would give him all of his money back. I remember the look on his face, he was stunned. He asked me why, so I told him that I would have no part in his little revenge plan, and that i refuse to allow the knowledge that I have been trusted with to fall into the hands of the wrong person, because it goes against everything I stand for.

Still a little confused, he told me exactly what this person had done and why he deserved it. i then continued to lecture him about the fact he has a son for a start, someone who depends on him to be there and be responsible. The past cannot be changed and bringing it all up again will haunt him one way or another for the rest of his life and so on and so forth.

Anyway, after a long talk, he agreed with me and swore that he would let it lie and move on with his life and be there for his son.

I gave him the benifit of the doubt and agreed to continue the sessions, under the agreement that he would make some changes.

Well, nearly 2 years later I have seen significant change. I've never known a more devoted father (all be it i'm sure he gives his dog more attention- he loves that dog!)and a harder working student.

I remember after he passed his very first grading, I told him I was proud of him and the efforts he had displayed. He said to me 'no-one has ever told me they were proud of me before'. We had a real heart to heart that day. he told me about how he left school at 14 and other parts of his personal life.

Today I did a session with him, and his dedication to learning almost rivals my own. He even asked me if he could borrow one of my books- the first book he has picked up since he left school. Once I regained conciousness I found the book for him.

He has become one of my most dedicated and hard working students, and his attitudes towards life and his family are that of a devoted father. He tells me for the first time in a long time he is using his brain. He writes things down that I tell him, he asks questions and he even comes up with his own ideas and asks me for my opinion and how he can improve. He always takes on board what I have to say, and at times he has even been there for me when I've needed someone to lean on.

The change I have seen in him brings me great pride, in both him for rising to the challenge I set him and surpassing it, and for myself, for having a real positive influence on him. To see the impact that what I have had to teach him and guide him with has been massive. I am proud of who he has become, and it is my great honour to continue to work with him. Despite his faults (hey, he ain't perfect yet ; )) he has a good heart and he has earned his place into my circle of brothers, and there are very few people who have made that.

A true example of my Sifu's code of honour in action:

- Enlighten yourself through learning

- Know your limits, then surpass them!

Well done Savil, I salute you!

That is my inspiration.

If you've made it this far, thanks for reading!

Kyle

billericaypersonaltrainer.com

What I believe

noreply@blogger.com (Kyle) — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 17:03:00 +0000

The last couple of weeks for me have completely changed my life on just about every single level you could imagine, and it's all happened so fast. In my personal life, my beautiful girlfriend gave birth to an amazing, gorgeous little boy. It's an amazing experience and an amazing feeling, but it also changes everything and my perspective on life. It's time for Kyle to grow up and build on what he has started (when I say it's time to grow up, I mean in terms of being a responsible adult, don't worry there will always be time for Transformers and Thundercats, especially with a little boy in my life!) Professionally I am embarking on a new endevour that will really put me on the map, as both a Martial arts coach and a Personal Trainer. I have decided to leave an environment that doesn't allow me to truely follow my beliefs and more core values, the values that make me who I am.
So, here I am, to share with you today my beliefs. Whether you agree with them or not really doesn't matter, we are all entitled to our own beliefs. I'm not seeking approval, I'm simply stating what makes me who I am, and what is going to make me the most successful coach I can be.

First up i believe in honesty, not just with the people around you, but to yourself. I've spent far too long lying to myself, telling myself everything will be ok when it really won't. Then I realised and I accepted the truth. When I accepted that things weren't right, that things needed to change then it all became so clear! Instead of problems there are now solutions! Now they are being put to good use. I believe in being honest with people, telling them how it is, but in a constructive way, not in a way to hurt or bring them down, because what good would that do? Simply making someone aware of what's happening around them, because if they keep denying it, then they ain't gonna fix it!!!!
I believe in the truth, because really the truth is all that's there. It doesn't matter how much you try to hide it, sugarcoat it or paint it green, it'll always come out.

I believe in Relationships. For me, clients aren't just my customers, they are the people I interact with on a regular basis. To get the best from them and the best from yourself, you have to engage them! Care about what they want, just like they do, offer them regular feedback, reassure them when you need to. Just because they are paying you doesn't mean you can't enjoy training them! A good relationship on a personal level will be so much more satisfying and it will encourage you to deliver- just know your limits!

I believe that there are people in this who have the courage to act and make the best of their lives, who accept that they are the masters of their own destiny, and there are those who fear to live to their fullest, who do not have the courage to change their lives, who only see obsticles and barriers instead of oppertunities- i'm sorry if that sounds harsh to some of you, but if that upsets you you may want to re-read the bit about being honest with yourself..... what do you want from your life?

I believe that there are some exceptionally good trainers and coaches out there, and that many of them sell themselves short because they do not believe in their own worth, while there are many 'wannabes' out there who are making a mint because they are bold and brash enough to do it. Again I make no apologies for sounding harsh, I just say it as I see it, feel free to disagree.

I believe we are on this Earth to experience who we really are, and every problem is not a problem at all, but an oppertunity to experience life and being ourselves.

I believe that it is good to be rewarded for making a difference to people's lives. We have such backwards views on money. Society would have us believe that it is wrong to accept money to help others (look at nurses and what they are paid). I say NUTS! What better way to make a living???

I believe in enlightening myself through learning (pinched that one from my kung fu code of honour). I'm not just talking about knowledge, even though knowledge is vital. I'm talking about learning through experience, learning to apply. You can 'know' everything there is to know about about the body on paper, but that doesn't mean you can identify an issue on a live client without the skill. It's not experience that makes us who we are, it's what we learn from it!

Ok, I've only just touched on my beliefs here today, there are many more, but i wouldn't want you falling asleep at the P.C! Seriously though, I truely believe in life being what we make it, in being defined through action, not words. It's taken me a bit of time to realise that, but when I think about it, I'm only 22 (and a half...) so I think that's a pretty profound revelation to have at my age.

I would quickly like to thank a Mr. Dax Moy for setting me the challenge of writing this today, for encouraging me to raise the bar and put my beliefs out there for everyone to see, so if i get shot by angry readers, we all know who to blame ; )

Kyle

billericaypersonaltrainer.com