"The two worst strategic mistakes to make are acting prematurely and letting an opportunity slip; to avoid this, the warrior treats each situation as if it were unique and never resorts to formulae, recipes or other people's opinions."
Paulo Coelho
A close friend of mine was chatting with me the other day and he asked me:
"Dude, when did you get on this kick of being all spiritual" in his good ol' Texas accent.
Well.... I've always believed in a strong mind and strong body.
But, as I prepared for my Navy SEAL challenge I began to dig deeper into what I was really capable of.
I had to go BEYOND mental toughness.
I had to call upon my inner spirit and discover WHY? so I could push myself and charge through any obstacles that dared stand in my way.
I learned a ton about myself in the process.
I felt unbreakable....
But then Hurricane Sandy came along.
I didn't think it was gonna be as bad as the news said it would be.
I was nervous about it, don't get me wrong, but I wasn't scared.
The aftermath hit me slowly but surely.
Each passing day the effects of the Hurricane stressed me a bit more.
I was unable to work.
My book deadline was around the corner but I had NO power.
The lack of available food for my family concerned me, the demolished homes just a short jog from my home made me cry.
I was concerned with taking care of my kids, keeping them warm and getting them hot food.
Day after day, even when things returned to normal my stress grew. I tried to internalize it all but you can only be so strong.
I utilized the lessons I learned from SEALFit and my Navy SEAL friends and Coaches.
My body broke down and so did my spirit.
I actually felt pain in my chest and fought through a virus through December and last week.
I stopped trying to be a "fighter" all the time, and focused on being more of a "peaceful warrior", going with the flow rather than pushing against the grain all the time.
[youtube width="640" height="360"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGFf3SRP1bE[/youtube]
[youtube width="640" height="360"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uw0oCs5zwAE[/youtube]
My spirit feels calmer and my body is healing as we speak.
I am learning to calm my mind during certain activities such as walking my dog near the pond & riding my bike with my dog.
Go with the flow, or, as Bruce Lee said, Be like water.
To be spiritually strong, you must also be physically strong. To be mentally strong, you must also be physically strong.
It starts with the physical.
This is why I push hard when I train. I am not interested in only the surface and stopping there. The surface is your biceps, chest, abs and so on. Beyond the surface we reach the mind and eventually the spirit.
I want to develop the ALL 3 layers of my body, the physical, mental AND spiritual, not just 1 or 2 layers.
This is what I call training for life.
When you train for life, you get the best of all the goals others tend to chase.
Want a rock solid body?
Want to look strong and truly BE strong?
Want confidence?
Want greater energy?
Train for life.
They will all happen when you beyond the mental and physical and dig into the spiritual.
Your journey will never be free of road bumps and challenges, that is a fairy tale and even the most successful, strongest people face challenges.
More on this next time...
Till then, make sure you log into the Underground Inner Circle and listen to the interview I did on 'Training for Life'.
It will inspire you and blow your mind. I guarantee it.
If you're not a member yet, don't be crazy all your life, ha ha
When you sign up I hook you up with almost ALL my training courses plus seminars caught on film and Tons MORE. You will NOT find another membership site hooking you up with so much.
QOD (Question Of The Day): How & What do you do to train beyond the physical? How do you train the mind and the spirit? If you are not at this point yet, what questions do you need answered to help you evolve to the next level? Drop your comments / questions below.
Live The Code
Advance & Conquer
--Z--
PS: Have you though about signing up for our Cert with a buddy or a small group?
Maybe this is a solo trip for you? A trip to find out who you are and what you're truly capable of?
We have discounts for 2 or more.
Greater discounts for 4 or more.
Beyond 5 Coaches is the Biggest Discount.
I love it when people sign up with friends and I get to see people chasing their dreams and living their passion.
THAT is what life is all about!
We're gonna have an amazing weekend.
Let's DO this! E Mail me with any questions on the buddy / group discounts.
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12 Responses
I dig it, Z!
Training for Life, because that’s the only way to do it. People have asked me time and time again, why am I so obsessed with getting stronger? Why am I always working out?
I always tell them, a strong man cannot truly be strong without making use of what God has given him, his body. A stronger body entitles you a stronger mind. A stronger mind entitles you a stronger body. This is a healthy obsession. All the grueling workouts I put myself through prime me for life. When I have to tackle one of life’s challenges, bring it on! Like when you fight for those last 2-3 reps, the reps that will push you THAT much harder—-it can be parallel as you climbing to the top in your chosen profession. You want to be better, fight harder for it. If your car breaks down at midnight and you have to push it several miles, man up..get it done. You want to be a better husband, a better father, a better worker…..fight harder, push harder.
Hard workouts are much more than just for gaining muscle mass. It’s about building a stronger mind, a stronger relationship with faith in yourself and faith in God. I thank God everyday for the strength I have built.
Train for Life, Undergrounders.
We understand this, that training is so much more powerful than big chest and biceps.
The majority, especially inside typical globo gyms are not at this level, my goal, is to get them there!
People will train harder AND in a different manner once they dig deep!
I have been training jiu jitsu for 5 years before that I boxed for 10, one of the great thing grapple arts have over striking arts is the ability to look at a situation and accept it entirely. If you are mounted you can struggle with all your might, but you will probably gas out and then get choked out. If someone is pulling you most peoples initial response is to push back, but you waste so much energy doing this, rather if someone pulls on me now, (I think THANKS) I am not going to use your energy as you pull me to go WITH your pull, don’t resist it, commit to it go with the flow, and from there do something else. Graplling is all about finesse and learning to use momentum and others power to compliment yours. Being like water is the best way to describe it, the same thing goes for strikes if you brace for a punch to the face it is going to hurt you much more than if you remain relaxed. great post! One thing people of all walks forget is you can’t just go thru life thinking brute force will work on everything, it may work on some things, but you will always meet a much stronger, faster, bigger and nastier opponent in that case your brute force is a fraction of theirs and you will lose. however if you are like water, you will find the openings in their game, the same thing goes for life. If you stay like water you will find the openings in problems as well as the path to win.
Chris thnx bro! I have been pushing hard for so long it’s time to just go with the flow
Kinda weird for me but gonna let it happen and hope for smoother sailing homie
What belt r u in bjj?
I miss bjj, hope to get back to it once life settles a bit more down here
I read the book of Proverbs. “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he” Proverbs 23:7
There is much wisdom in this book that helps me with mental focus.
simple and powerful, brutha! soooo true!
Whats up Z,
Over the past year I’ve quit my job to pursue my dream job of being a strength coach and it has been the best decision in my life thus far. Around the same time I made the shift from focusing on myself in “athlete mode” and took an approach of building myself up inside and out. I’m constantly reading (or listening) to anything that will help me become a better coach and motivator for my athletes. By coming from a place of service (which ties into my Faith) I have gained a whole new appreciation for life and the impact I can have. My training is no long bogged down by the constant need for the validation of a new PR or top time. Now it’s more about me just getting stronger and staying consistent for the rest of my life to be an example for those I have influence over. That doesn’t mean I don’t get down right nasty when it’s time to but the new clarity I have has made me see what we do as a true lifestyle. Thanks for helping me find this brotha!
Harvey
I hear ya
I love PRs but I love enjoying the process and knowing i’ll do this for a lifetime
I love changing the lives of others
Strength has many facets and PRs are scratching the surface of these facets, you dig deeper and you now understand!
Well said my bruddah! If we don’t dig deeper in our training, we won’t get anywhere…in life. Some people think we over dd it when we link our physical training with how we live our lives, but they just don’t get it..and is our job to make them understand. To make them realize that the only way to be really strong is to have our body strength, mental strength and spiritual strength in check. Because life is (or at least we hope) a long ass battle and we have to be strong in all 3 layers like you said to overcome whatever it throws at you.
As always, leading from the front my friend…
blessings,
Fuerza siempre, hasta la victoria! (strength always, ´till victory!)
Ory
Ory! Love hearing from U, homie!!!
You get this!!! I remember seeing it in you when U rocked the Cert 2 summers ago!
That was an awesome time!!!
Hope to see U soon again, my friend!!!
Much respect, homie!
I get it the harder I train the stronger I get and look the better I feel as a person as it helps me do better in other areas of life because I have more confidence and I feel very positive.
Excellent advice