For the past few years I have had this gnawing awareness that “something was wrong.”   Although I still feel I am looking at things through a thick fog I have a feeling that I am starting to develop an understanding of the issue. Maybe wrong isn’t the right term but something was missing. There has been a huge disconnect of what I wanted to offer members of Attitude First and what is actually being offered.

 

 

First, let’s face it I’m getting older.   However that is not an excuse it is a fact!   Also I have allowed myself to slip away from those values I held so tight for so many years.   Members of Attitude First only get small glimpses of the young “Mr. Robinson” and only hear stories.    Unfortunately, that scenario holds true with most “athletes” as the window is only open for a period of time.  

 

Today, you see some of these coaches, okay most of these coaches in the NFL and you wonder if they ever even played the game. Not exactly the image of the beasts that plays today. Then you start looking through their pasts and you see that they were both college and pro greats and you see young pictures of them and you say “Wow, that guy was a monster…” or something like that.

 

Yes, I’ve done a few things in the past few years that were more like the younger me. However the reality is, I’m not training as much as I should.   I’ve put on WAY TOO many pounds… I’ve fallen into the trap… “I don’t train BECAUSE I’m overweight and my knees hurt, my back/neck hurts, it takes forever to heal up…I’m overweight and my knees hurt, my back/neck hurts, it takes forever to heal up BECAUSE I don’t train… I don’t train BECAUSE I’m over weight…” This vicious cycle just keeps continuing day after day.   Unfortunately the days are turning into years and it’s pushing me towards my grave way sooner than I’m ready.

 

 

Many of the long time students are experiencing similar thoughts and concerns. I know this because so many of you have expressed this to me. Yes, I’m considering that “Over 40 class!” As many of you know I am a “Wanna Be” Nutritionist (more about Wanna Be’s later in this extremely long article or mini-book!) I know I have read virtually everything printed on exercise, fitness, health and nutrition.   Yes, they all boil down to a few simple ideas:   Getting a good balance of clean water, preservative free foods, strength and cardio training, warm up/cool down and stretch, quiet time with yourself and recreation with others, loving others and get lots of stress free rest!

 

Weight Loss- Burn more calories than you take in… Weight Maintenance- Burn and consume the same and Weight Gain- Consume more than you burn. In all cases you want to insure that you are eating healthy foods combined properly and you want to insure that your methods of burning are done safely and in proper for as to avoid damage and stress to the body.

 

Okay if it is all that easy then they real challenge is figuring out how to do all that and still meet all those other responsibilities you’ve established.   That’s the Goal!   That’s what I’m hoping to address with this awareness.   Hey, am I going to come up with the secret elusive pill? Am I going to establish some new life changing insight? Am I going to give you the answer to fix all life’s imperfections? NOPE!

 

But what I hope to achieve with this new feature is a resource for you that can help and inspire within you the opportunity to find those answers for yourself. To help you achieve goals and realize success in your lives. Hey, along the journey maybe we will discover them together.   I know I don’t have the answers but in my attempt to work with you it will force me to “Eat what I’m cooking…”

 

 

Sure there are tons of books, videos and websites that can and will a lot of the information that we will.   I’m sure I will have to resource other knowledgeable sources but here’s the difference. You will have an intimate influence on what is discussed in this feature.   Your participation in Attitude First and at the Training Center will help guide the information   

 

 

Words and names are very powerful they can inspire, infuriate, entertain, influence and be very memorable.   Logos and catch phrases are huge in marketing.   I understand one of the most ingenious phrases of all time… “Got Milk?” Simple, doesn’t say much but in truth says a ton.   On top of it everyone copies it.   We even had stickers that said “Got Attitude?” I stopped making them as those who had them on their cars told me that they got a lot of grief from people wanting to answer the question…

 

So here goes… I’m going to call this upcoming forum “Let’s Get AT IT… Dude(s)!” Obviously, it is a play on us! Our name revolves around “Attitude” This forum is for us and about us!   We never train ego in fact, I had to let go of some to come up with this. Okay, I’ll probably need to share my journey here. Yes, I’ve grown extremely comfortable with the belief that “Attitude” is first! Our attitudes are the gateway to everything (both good and bad).   At the Training Center all of our training focuses on establishing an attitude that will open us to improving our Fitness Levels (Spiritual – Mental – Emotional – Perceptual – Physical) We seek to improve these levels through a balanced process having each grow exponentially.

 

 

 

“Let’s Get AT IT” is pretty straight forward. For me it inspires an image of you and I together jumping into ACTION (Absolute Commitment to Improve Ourselves Now!)

 

So why Dude(s)? Okay, okay it fit. So that really bothered me (remember “letting go… ego stuff?”)   Yes, I am not very fond of this word as I felt most everyone under the age of 25 overuses and misuse it. Alright so the original use was for a city person who went our west and attempted unsuccessfully to fit in. However if we look at this more closely we can see that really it was a name for a “Wanna Be” (Remember way at the beginning of all this?)

 

To be a “Wanna Be” is not necessarily a bad thing. If fact, we are just that at one point or another.   Granted if you say that you want something, any thing and take no steps or actions to move you towards it then you probably don’t want what you are kidding yourself that you do.   For example: I say I want to win the Lottery and I never buy a ticket. Do my actions in any way support my desires?   Probably not!   The fact that I don’t do anything proves I’m not a “Wanna Be”

 

The fact that these easterners traveled out west and did their best to “portray the cowboy” took some effort and in some ways did make them a cowboy. Albeit maybe not great cowboys but more of what they would have been had they not made the attempt. Sure the “real” cowboys didn’t accept these “dudes” but you know they should have been somewhat flattered that their extremely hard lives were aspired to by so many. Yes, I realize there were some “dudes” that only wanted to dress the part and they over dressed it with shiny new outfits that a cowboy wouldn’t be caught dead in.

 

With all that said, you know being a dude again isn’t that bad.   Depending on my “attitude” about it… I guess you could say it’s a compliment.    As long as I know I’m taking steps to reach my goals.   

 

Yes, I found I’m back at that “Dude” level when it comes to be a Martial Artist.   I’m sitting on the sidelines say I “wanna be” doing this and that, I “wanna be” in better shape, I “wanna…,” etc.

 

No more!   If I digress further I will move from “dude” to “dud” and I really couldn’t handle being proven to be a failure! 

 

 

 

So what is all this about? We (You, others and myself) have been working directly or indirectly on some new programs and ideas that we will be starting to publish here in the very near future.   We will be sharing these projects with small video clips offering ideas and methods for improving your Martial Arts which we will show you how to use in other aspects of your lives. So by creating these clips and everything you won’t just see me talking about it.   You will see me actually doing and improving along the way, right with you!

 

 

We are really excited about it and look forward to your further participation.   Oh and hey thanks for your time today to read all this!