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“Courage is not the absence of fear - it is the conquest of it.”
This is an excerpt
from Jim Bell’s new book “The Rules of Engagement (ROE) for Fitness
Professionals” scheduled for release May 1, 2005.
Becoming the Best Personal Trainer
Tools needed:
-
Education
-
Experience
-
Communication Skills
-
Motivation Skills
-
Certification
-
Continuing Education
in your field
You will need to
focus on this short list if you decide to take the journey toward
becoming the “Best of the Best.” You must learn to take criticism
and objectively evaluate where you stand in each of the tools listed
above and develop your own customized program of self-development. You
have many resources available to you. Use the IFPA website and its many
resources to aid you on your journey of becoming “The Best of the Best.”
My first
recommendation to you is to go to the IFPA website at:
www.ifpa-fitness.com, click on the Resources block, Fitbits Article
Archive and scroll down to the article titled: “Recommended Reading for
Personal Development” dated 8/18/03. Click on the article and
Read…Study…Learn. Choose one of the books on the list and begin your
journey!
It does not matter
which book you start with…just start! When you read these books, don’t
just read…READ! Before you begin, set it in your mind to READ… STUDY
…LEARN! Outline each book if you want to maximize your learning (with
the possible exception of “Atlas Shrugged.” Outlining a novel
as engrossing as this would be a distraction, but do allow yourself to
be engrossed).
“The journey of a
thousand miles begins with but a single step.” You are embarking on a
great journey and it too begins with but a single step, but you do need
to take that step. You will also need to take a second…and a third…and a
fourth step. No matter how often “life gets in the way,” you need to
keep taking steps. As long as you keep taking those steps, you will
remain on that great journey. And here’s the best part of taking those
steps… “Success is a journey, not a destination!” That’s right, as long
a as you keep taking those steps, YOU ARE A SUCCESS!
You are going to
encounter problems, obstacles, emergencies, crisis’s and everything you
can imagine and maybe something you can’t, on your journey… it is
inevitable…it is guaranteed. That is why the Wiseman once said “Life is
what happens when you are making other plans.” You have an infinitely
better chance of surviving life’s challenges if you remain steadfast in
continuing your journey. If you have a powerful goal…a powerful WHY… you
can bear any HOW. You must learn that this strategy for dealing with the
onslaught that life throws at you provides a healthy alternative to
maximizing pleasure and minimizing pain, far, far superior to sex, drugs
and other destructive behaviors that too many wandering souls resort to
in times of crisis.
I want you to be
well armed when the tough times come, so I’m going to share with you
something that has inspired me, many times over the years. One of the
many blessings that I am eternally thankful for was my good fortune to
have as a teacher a Franciscan Nun, Sister (Mary) Lawrence. Sister
Lawrence was tough-as-nails and wise beyond belief. She did and said
many things that raised my level of consciousness and I am going to
share this story with you, in the hopes that it will raise your level of
consciousness. I and many of my friends in grade school were from the
“wrong side of the tracks.” We got into a lot of trouble and a lot
of fights. By the time I graduated from the 8th grade, I had
logged more fights than Mohammed Ali. I am in awe of Sister Lawrence, to
this very day for many, many reasons, but I will unashamedly admit, that
despite fighting in 3 different styles of martial arts and many, many
violent years, Sister Lawrence, to this day, has the most memorable
right hook my jaw has ever blocked.
She was a powerful
woman, physically, mentally, emotionally, intellectually and
spiritually. I now know that she gave me what I needed, when I needed
it. At the time, I did not appreciate her or the other Sisters that
worked long and hard to shape my life, but I am grateful beyond measure
that I had the opportunity to return to my grade school following my
graduation from college, commissioning as a U.S. Air Force Officer and
earning my wings from U.S Air Force Pilot Training. I thanked Sister
Lawrence, Sister Benedict, Sister Maria and Sister Sebastion and the
other Sisters, for all the thankless work they put into me. These
incredible women all took a vow of poverty and dedicated themselves to
educating and shaping a bunch of unappreciative street urchins and
turned them into productive citizens. I and many of my friends were the
first in their families to graduate from college. Sister Lawrence
supplied me with the tools for academic achievement and in memory of
this great woman and all the great women that dedicated their lives as
she did, I am going to give you those tools.
Tool #1: READING!
Sister Lawrence
made us read volumes of material. Book after book, and we were required
to fill out a book report for every book we read. In the 4th
Grade I turned in 117 book reports and was rewarded for my efforts with
a unique prize…I was awarded a Book! Of course the real prize was that
during my reading comprehension test that year, I scored as a 12th
grader in his 8th month. My reading ability was 8 years
beyond my grade. You need to know this, because if you are like the
many, who prefer to get all their knowledge and entertainment from T.V.
and video, you need to change. I understand you may not WANT TO READ but
if you WANT SUCCESS then you NEED TO READ.
The difference
between a “worker” in a field and an “EXPERT” in a field is one hour/day
of reading in the field, for about 3 years. The difference between an
“EXPERT” in a field and a “World Renown EXPERT” in a field is one
hour/day of reading in the field for about 5 years. If you are looking
for an alternative to work in order to become an EXPERT forget it. If
you think there is something else you can do besides READ…you can’t. If
you believe there has got to be an easier way to achieve success, then
you need to change your beliefs.
Tool #2: MEMORIZATION!
I can hear you
groaning now! If you don’t like to read, I’m sure you hate to MEMORIZE.
If you don’t read and have never memorized anything, you will probably
deem the following request as highly unreasonable, but I am going to ask
anyway.
THINK!
You are a Fitness Professional. You already know that Physical Exercise
is used to improve, strengthen and create a better body.
THINK!
Reading and memorization improve, strengthen and create a better brain.
THINK!
The more you read
and memorize the facts concerning your field, the closer you come to the
lofty goal of “EXPERT STATUS.” It is the “Gold Ring,” the
“Pinnacle” of our profession, and it is yours for the taking if you
discipline yourself to READ one hour/day and memorize the critically
important facts of the fitness and nutrition field. Besides, unless you
are a one-in-a-million professional athlete, a strong brain makes more
happiness and success than a strong body; just ask Bill Gates or any
other billionaire.
How will your
client react when you know the correct name, location and action of the
muscles that need to be strengthened or stretched to prevent rotator
cuff injuries? How will your client react when you know the correct
nutrients they need to consume to prevent anemia or osteoporosis, the
foods that contain those nutrients and the correct RDA for your client’s
age group? How will your client react when you know to call 911 when
they report severe chest pain and pressure of their chest “like a heavy
man is standing on my chest?” How will your client’s family react
if you didn’t know they were having a heart attack and you did nothing
to save your client?
THINK!
Reading and
memorization separate the professionals from the “hacks.” Which
group do you want to be in? Sister Lawrence made us memorize a lot.
THANK YOU SISTER LAWRENCE!
One of the poems
that Sister Lawrence made us memorize was the “Charge of the Light
Brigade.” This is not the place for a lesson on British Military
History but this poem was written by Alfred Tennyson as a description of
an actual battle of British Light Calvary charging with indescribable
gallantry into an impregnably defended valley of canon batteries. It was
a mistake! No Field Commander would send Light Cavalry against such a
heavily defended position. It would mean certain death for every
Cavalryman in the unit, but the order was given and the 600 brave heroes
of the Brigade followed orders and charged.
When I was a young boy,
I marveled at the courage that Tennyson described, as a man, I want to
share with you a passage from that poem to help you learn a lesson:
- Canon to right of
them,
- Canon to left of
them,
- Canon in front of
them,
- Volleyed and
thunder’d;
- Storm’d at with
shot and shell,
- Boldly they rode
and well,
- Into the jaws of
Death,
- Into the mouth of
Hell,
- Rode the six
hundred.
You may be one of
our honored veterans that actually know what it’s like to live through
the terror of war and found the courage to fight on. You may never have
been in combat and experienced the carnage of war, but I bet at least
once in your life you have been “underfire” from a mental, emotional,
financial or spiritual cannon. This poem and this verse specifically
have helped me find the inspiration and courage I needed when I needed
it most. I hope it helps you. If your taste in poetry is different than
mine, then I recommend you find something that appeals to you and use
that in times of need. MEMORIZE IT!
The objective is to keep going, to keep fighting, no matter how much you
feel like quitting…you just keep going. The fifth verse of the poem is:
- Canon to right of
them
- Canon to left of
them
- Canon behind
them,
- Volleyed and
thunder’d’
- Storm’d at with
shot and shell,
- While horse and
hero fell,
- They that had
fought so well
- Came thro’ the
jaws of Death,
- Back from the
mouth of Hell,
- All that was left
of them,
- Left of six
hundred
Steel yourself for the
fight. No matter how many canons life fires your way, fight through the
jaws of Death. Fight back from the mouth of Hell.
- Jim Bell, PhDc
- IFPA President
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