*This is from an e-mail that was sent to me by the trainer for the boot camp I attend. He is WONDERFUL about sending out information & motivation. I loved reading this & wanted to pass it on. Enjoy!
Getting an object
at rest to begin moving requires far more energy than it does to keep it moving.
Think of a rocket: 90 percent of the power is spent on the initial thrust—the
remaining 10 percent is all that’s needed to keep it going. However, if that
rocket strays off course, it requires considerable energy to get it back on
track, and, if it gets too far off course, it will not complete its mission—and
all the energy expended to lift it out of the gravitational pull of the earth is
for naught.
The same principle
applies to transforming our bodies. When changing any aspect of our lives,
getting started is by far the most challenging stage of the process. If you have
already begun, you’re already generating considerable momentum. And if you keep
going, you will soon experience impressive results, unless you stray off course.
All too often, that’s what happens—people are going along great, then they
quit.
I’ll share with you
a powerful solution to challenges that lie ahead—challenges that can be
transformed into energy to fuel your ascent instead of slowing you down, or
worse yet, stopping you altogether.
Transform
Adversity into Energy
Picture this: For
the first time in a long time, all aspects of your life are coming together.
You’ve successfully transformed your patterns of action, and you’re moving
forward in the direction of your goals.
You’re looking
better each week. That stubborn fat is finally melting away. In its place,
muscle is forming. You’re getting stronger, healthier. You’re well on your way
to a new and better life. You feel unstoppable, until the “unexpected” happens.
Adversity strikes. Something goes wrong. You’re blindsided by a bad hit.
These “hits” can
come from any direction. It may be an injury, the loss of your job, an illness,
a failed business venture, the end of a relationship, or some other personal
tragedy.
Adversity hits all
of us. No one is exempt. When trouble strikes, it can halt progress, destroy
your momentum, cripple your self-confidence, and send you into a tailspin.
No training system,
supplement, or “miracle pill” can make you immune to adversity. But does that
mean there’s nothing you can do about it? Yes and no. You can’t always prevent
ill fortune, especially due to forces and circumstances beyond your control, but
you can expect and properly deal with adversity. It’s not a matter of if it
comes your way; it’s a matter of when and how severely it strikes your life.
The good news is it
is because of, not in spite of, misfortune that you grow. Your character will
never be fully tested until things are not going your way. Those who have the
courage to succeed in spite of adversity become an inspiration. They contribute
value to the lives of others.
So, during the
course of your fitness program, whenever something comes up that you believe
might prevent you from finishing your program and successfully transforming your
body and life—immediately ask, “What can I do to turn this negative into a
positive? How can I make this work for me?”
Inner
Strength
When you approach
obstacles this way, you will experience an immediate boost in energy and
confidence, both of which you will need to complete any fitness program. And by
practicing this skill—by learning how to transform obstacles into advantages—by
attacking challenges head on—you will not only continue to move forward, you
will gain the inner strength to deal with anything life brings your way.
When you look at
adversity this way, you realize misfortune is a bridge, not a barricade, to
greater achievement. It represents the opening of doors, not the closing of
them. When adversity strikes, don’t let it stop you. Promise yourself in advance
you will transform that negative into a positive. It’s not just the right way to
handle it, it’s the only way.
Excellence in Action
When faced with
adversity ask, “What can I do to turn this negative into a positive? How can I
make this work for me?”
Written by Bill Phillips - May
2008
