Sometimes a psychologist needs help too!

The third in a series of posts, sharing my personal transformation from a fat and grumpy sad sack to a happier, healthier, and stronger human being  during nine months of personal training sessions ...

Introduction:

In January I embarked on a new lifestyle path because I finally became so sick to death of myself that I found a compelling reason and a means to make changes.

I have tried and failed many times before and in my last post, I finally came to terms with the main saboteur in my life – ME!

Support is the Key to Change

After much measured self-reflection and with my trainer (my secret weapon!) consistently supporting me, I have finally broken through and can see that I have already made great progress in breaking the cycle of struggle in all areas of my life:

• physically,
• mentally,
• emotionally,
• and spiritually.

This time, I'm exploring the rewards, both tangible and intangible of this stage of my personal transformation. It's also been a time of consolidating and internalising my motivations, as well as the more obvious physical changes.

One of the biggest bonuses from this stage is the clarity I now have.

This clarity shines a light both looking forward and backwards.

I look forward to what I can now see, I can achieve; as well as looking backwards to my journey so far and the incredible insights this has afforded me.

This new clarity has led me to a renewed passion to help others reclaim their energy and their lives, as I have done.

Part of this is a desire to encourage businesses to create healthier workplace environments to support their workforce, community, productivity and profitability in our stressful and demanding times.

12 Weeks - No Need to Count anymore

Early April 2013: Reluctance & Reliance turns to Joy & Expectation

I am now approximately twelve weeks into my personal training journey and WOW! I am delighted I have stayed committed for a whole three months - and loving it.

My previous life-long pattern would have been a short burst of intense but brief enthusiasm, meaning that by this stage I would have fizzled out and slipped back to minimum physical activities.

Furthermore I would have justified this reneging on myself with some convenient false belief, like:

"Poor me I just have too much in my work/family diary at the moment to keep exercising and I will get back into it again soon ...blah blah blah."

Fortunately for me, my Trainer’s contagious enthusiasm and sheer joy in participating in energetic, fun physical routines, keeps me on track.

I now can sense my increased mental toughness and expanding desire to challenge myself physically. I have a deeper self belief in my abilities and capabilities.

I look and feel stronger and can connect to the movement of my muscles much better.

I look forward to my regular training sessions as the most important and inspiring use of my time each week.

On each occasion my trainer is subtly educating me with physiological and nutritional advice that generates clear and specific health benefits for me.

• I have an expanding sense of ease, enjoyment and excitement that transfers through training into my life in general.
• I am increasingly aware of my reliable progress and understand clearly, that if I consistently do the work (food, rest, exercise, stretching) I will always see the results.
• I start to notice a maturation in my use of power and focus, becoming much more insightful about aligning more gently with subtle physical (plus psychological) energy.
• I nurture and flow with the rhythm of my body during exercise sessions, and thus start to tap into a much more sustainable and enduring source of core strength.
• My laughter and playfulness expand because  am no longer just driven by fierce brute male force or aggression.

I so much look forward to each training session, that it has now become clear to me that I have definitely stepped into a new way of life.

People around me comment that I look younger and fitter and stronger. I smile appreciatively, because every deep fibre of my renewed healthier self knows this is true.

In work and social settings I've noticed a more grounded and inspired personal presence, but without the ego or arrogance.

How My Life Has Changed

My lifestyle benefits and simpler easier ways of getting things done are also worth acknowledging.

Mundane but delightful advantages like now being able to…

• athletically climb up a back yard ladder effortlessly;
• spring onto the tin roof at home;
• and spend an energetic Saturday morning pruning the large overhanging palm fronds.

All this and more has become easy and graceful.

Because by now I am more than 20 kilograms lighter, I no longer shuffle gingerly on the tin roof sheeting as I once would have.

I no longer feel unsafe, tense and poorly balanced as I previously sensed the danger of my excessive weight buckling the tin sheets and collapsing through the structure.

I feel truly blessed to be guided by such an inspirational trainer, who has respectfully walked beside me on the journey of the last 3 months and reminded me that it is natural and delightful to truly prioritise health and wellbeing practices into the daily rituals of my life.

Looking after You Honours Others

Investing in myself this way is also an excellent way to honour the other people in my life who I love and care about.

I am truly enjoying giving myself permission to enjoy doing the training that is rekindling my joy and vitality - my inner light.

This light burned brightly in the heyday of my past energetic youth and is now is once again beginning to shine brightly!

At the beginning of July 2013 I participated in the Gold Coast Marathon, the culmination of this phase and the embodiment of letting my light shine through. This day signifies the start of the next phase of my transformation, which I will be sharing in the next blog in this series, as I transform my beliefs about myself with a realisation that truly aligns my physical, emotional, mental and spiritual self with a common purpose.

As a result of my own personal journey with its successes, failures, reflections and education in the realms of health from my personal trainer and the rigors of my professional expertise, knowledge and business focus; I have become impassioned to create a committed and integrated health, wellbeing and coaching offering for businesses.

This unique approach marries healthier lifestyle practices into a business or workplace setting that is enduring and creates real change.

Ritualising the approach to a whole, participating individual through physical, emotional, mental and spiritual wellbeing, the objective is to create enhanced communication, higher functioning and thinking, an environment that nurtures creativity, cements loyalty and overall creates a healthier workplace for all.

Stepping out and beyond traditional workplace health programs, our modular program is more than just a personal trainer, membership at the gym, or some life coaching sessions. Aside from my own results, we are getting real results in workplace settings.

Please feel free to comment below, or contact me directly for more information on our innovative new program especially designed for forward thinking workplaces looking for the edge in human resourcefulness.