Breaking Out of the "Box"

Yesterday, I gave a talk at San Diego City College to their newest group of graduates from the Fitness Specialist Program. I went through the program myself 7 years ago and am often asked to come back to give the students tips and advice regarding how to make it in the fitness industry as a Personal Trainer and/or Group Exercise Instructor.

I ended up sharing with them the 3 main reasons why I started to succeed relatively quickly in my career.

First, I believe that you have to take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself to you and explore as many possibilities as you can. Because I was willing to explore, I opened myself up to a lot of experiences that paved the way to golden employment opportunities in the end. Second, you have to continue to learn. Just because school is out doesn't mean that the learning has to end. I encouraged them all to read and study as much as they can about anatomy, kinesiology, biomechanics, and training methods because with knowledge comes power and the ability to, lastly, break out of the box. One of the reasons why David has become a successful inventor is because he is extremely knowledgeable, well-educated, and creative. Because he has done so much personal research and study of training and the human body, he has the courage and confidence to break out of the box and pave new roads, therefore innovating and expanding the boundaries of training, exercise and movement.

I believe that all of us are capable of breaking out of our boxes - what it takes is knowledge, dedication and passion. It is much easier to allow ourselves to get stuck in our old ways of doing things, to keep ourselves from growing and challenging the way we operate. But that growth and development is the only way that we will truly get to where we can go in life, and the journey is worth taking.

Everybody's box is different. It is simply the parameters around which we define ourselves, our capabilities, and what we believe is possible in our lives. Moving beyond those walls can be challenging but it is not impossible. I happen to be one who finds comfort in my "box" but I become very imbalanced when I stay there for too long. Living with David constantly challenges my own ways of thinking and encourages me to live outside of my box and explore a number of other possibilities that exist. It brings balance into my life as I am able to break out of my box and challenge and redefine its walls as my life grows and expands.

I believe it is a healthy way to grow as an individual. Most of us will always have fundamental beliefs and opinions that will not change and those lay a great foundation and platform from which to explore the world beyond the walls which encapsulate us. The key to staying balanced in life is to stay flexible and open to opportunity, knowledge, and everything else that lies outside of our box.