We are connected

I hope you realize my stories are therapy for my life

You walked into the party

Like you were walking on a yacht

Your hat strategically dipped below one eye

Your scarf, it was apricot

You had one eye on the mirror

And watched yourself gavotte

And all the girls and boys dreamed that they'd be your partner

They'd be your partner, and

You're so vain

You probably think this blog is about you

Don't you?

There are three versions of every story, yours, mine, the truth.

I love waking up to email responses to our talk shows or my blogs, it sure is refreshing when someone 'gets you'.I don't require affirmations or praise but it's nice to get now and then.

The message......

Your a funny man Robb with a creative active mind! Few can keep up with you if you decide to go chase rabbits. A old Master of Aikido got a bit perturbed at my "yeah but what IF" ... scenarios that are Unfathomable Variables. He looked at me stone cold, yet loving & kind & said..."if we try to chase all these rabbits we will end up catching none." It's imperative to stay on topic at times & also to be spontaneous & absolutely randomly creative at times... You my friend have a LARGER BANDWIDTH MENTAL CAPACITY & INTENSITY than most folks! Einstein said "The Mind once expanded BEYOND its original dimensions never regains its same shape" Joe Lewis infused us with a power, might, curiosity & a realistic testing...to stretch our LIMITS BEYOND their original shapes... You are NOT confined to formats...that is extremely creative...a interactive FLOW of conversation & thoughts & impulsive feelings... I bet some LOVED it! It was refreshing! Some may have been confused & hated it...they got mentally stretched out!!! LOL your Hilarious & Spontaneous... Live active energy... GOOD

Everybody is looking for something they already have, 

I love this one.......

 "I'm looking for something different in my life"

Wake up, your the difference. It was within you all along.

You can't judge a book by it's cover, 

but you can by it's first few chapters and certainly it's last.

We live in a Facebook world, most people feel they need to be significant fake profiles, fake accomplishments even fake obstacles.....abuse, money ect. .I'm a learner, I give credit to my mentors and celebrate being a student of life I fail and get up again and again.

I've learned temperance over the last year. Probably sent to me to educate the boy in me.

We've all got 'Devils to fight'.

Whether it's weight loss, recovering from a loss in the ring, self doubt, negative body image or relationship woes; all are 'Demons' you spar with. The voices or Emotions generated from these situations are teachers. We learn from Mentors and Pain. They are internal 'face punches'.....teachers. In class we talk about the Trinity, Tactics, Strategy & Conditioning......with that mindset it's 'smooth sailing'. It's not what you go through it's how you feel about it. Inner turmoil comes from expectation.

Value is determined by sacrifice

Your only worth what someone is willing to sacrifice for you. What is the value of your goal. How much do you value it. What determines value ? Intrinsic value is based on the perception of the brand, you 're the brand. Your self worth is determined by how much value you place on yourself.
                 
Uncommon Success comes in small measures not unrealistic goal setting or expectation. Baby steps
Recognize YOUR value,Face the Fear of trying something new and walk through our door.

 At Fearless Family Martial Arts we free people from their concerns; Health,Fitness, Nutrition and Fun ....we always have Fun. take a chance on Faith this year join our journey

.https://fearlessfamilymartialarts.com/classes/primal-fitness-kickboxing/

At a gym or on your own you can only Hope your fitness plan will work

One door closes

When you try to tackle one change or goal your success rate is over 80%. 

When you try to tackle multiple changes/goals your success rate drops to less than 35%. 

WITH STATISTICS LIKE THAT I'D SAY ONE DOOR AT A TIME, ONE DAY AT A TIME.

Today marked the begining of our 630am 'Primal Crawl' class.

1st day and it was a success !

Success is waking up each morning and consciously deciding today will be the best day of your life. You can't change the past, but you can change perspective.

I think it;s all about knocking on doors, taking a chance. By activating a perspective change and just showing up all things become possible.

If you don’t consciously choose Faith, Trust and Love in each moment, your subconscious 'default settings' will choose for you, and that choice is made by the Ego and it usually chooses Hope and Fear..

 At Fearless Family Martial Arts we free people from their concerns; Health,Fitness, Nutrition and Fun ....we always have Fun. take a chance on Faith this year join our journey

.https://fearlessfamilymartialarts.com/classes/primal-fitness-kickboxing/

At a gym or on your own you can only Hope your fitness plan will work

    It's easy and comfortable to think you're eating healthy "most of the time."

It's easy and comfortable to just buy the gym membership. 

Easy is comfortable. 

No change is made while being comfortable.

Beyond Perception

I always thought it was important to leave an indelible mark on the world, 

out live myself, leave my influence on eternity with the gifts I'd been given..

 Whether it was martial arts, sales,acting or stunts.

Within me the whole time was the answer to change the life of a student.

In December of 2017 I realized I was sacrificing my happiness in pursuit of a dream.

I've been listening to talks by T.D. Jakes, Jim Carey, Mike Murdock, Ziglar and Tony Robbins.

You'll find some of their inspirational 'one liners' buried in these blogs as I move forward in 2018 trying to replace my 'mighty pen/keyboard with a kinder gentler 'quill keyboard'.Through this achieving greater inner value not just my outer value. I hold the pen that writes the story of my life. Let's try to leave Fear and Resentment in 2017 and let the light of our best selves shine through.

Fear says please don't leave me behind because I have abandoned myself.

Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger.

Don't let fear or insecurity stop you from trying new things.

 Believe in yourself. Leave Ego behind. Do what you love......With Love ! !

If there is no enemy within 

the enemy outside can do us no harm

African proverb

In our fitness and martial arts classes,the team nurtures each new challenge participant to dig within to discover what they would like to have happen in their life. This helps you to move from pissed off, regretful, disrespected or insignificant to having a purposeful life.

Fear of the unknown is the oldest and most powerful emotion.

You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you face fear. 

In life you don't get what you want you get what you are.

 You deserve the best life has to offer.

It's better do be prepared for an opportunity that never happens than to have an opportunity and not be prepared. Practice makes improvement not perfect.

 Practice with us we'll get better together !!

You won't find this in the gym, but you will in the Dojo 

If you can look up  you can get up , walk by Faith through our door 

 Don't just Hope to achieve your dreams at the gym or on your diet.

Remember your going to die some day anyway what do you have to loose.

Join our journey learn the difference

https://fearlessfamilymartialarts.com/classes/primal-fitness-kickboxing/

 .

All Hallows Eve

I bet living in a nudist colony takes all the fun out of Halloween !

Halloween wraps fear in innocence.
Even a focused eye doesn't guarantee a keen imagination.

Without imagination there can be no horror.

The darkness on this night,
 has a special place in the hearts and minds of everyone.

Imagine if the whole world hated you, how terribly alone you'd feel.

But, if you're conscience absolved you of guilt, you wouldn't be without friends.
You would though surely feel like a soulless caricature.

Parents can try to give guidance to the right paths but the 

final formation of ones character is in our own hands.

I think pleasure is found in the wonder of the unexplored

 and the unexpected things that lay hidden ...muted even,

 behind the 'walls' we use to disguise our true selves.

Tonight I'm down with the clown,
I crawl like a tarantula on my toes and thumbs.
Born to carnies, gypsies and bums....

Outside the air feels different, it's cool and bright, 
the veil between realms is thinnest tonight,
whether you believe in spirits 
or not this night, they surely believe in you.

Humans are amphibians, half spirit and half animal.
As spirits they belong to the eternal world, 
but as animals they inhabit time.

-C. S. Lewis-

Trial by Fire

Trial by fire or ordeal
is a judicial practice by which the guilt or innocence of the accused is determined by subjecting him to an unpleasant, usually dangerous experience.
 Classically, the test is one of life or death and the proof of innocence is survival.
 The accused is considered innocent by escaping injury or if his injuries heal.

'Ordeal by Red Hot Iron'

According to modern evolutionary theory, 
different emotions evolved at different times.
 Primal emotions or fears are associated with ancient parts of the brain.

They evolved among our pre mammal ancestors.

If you always put limits on everything you do,
physical or anything else.
 It will spread into your work and into your life.
 There are no limits.
 There are only plateaus,
 and you must not stay there,
 you must go beyond them.
-Bruce Lee-

It's said that failure to act or laziness is a sin...............

Sloth...... is defined as physical laziness or spiritual laziness.
Sloth has also been defined as a failure to do things that one should do.
 In Christian faith the definition is evil exists when good men fail to act.

In martial arts the trial by fire is the Black Belt test.
  Joe Lewis told us that for 11 minutes he wanted us to give him all of our heart.
This was probably one of the most pivotal moments in my life .
Did I experience fear....yup ...............Pain ....Hell Yea !

When I was experiencing intense pain,
 just on the other side of the suffering was an intense connection with life.
 and with being embodied, having a body and feeling sensations.
 It’s almost as if the pure experience of it was all that mattered.

I recently had the honor of watching two of my students 'trial by fire',
The pre-test for Black belt.

I know intimately the commitment and sacrifice they've made.
And
I am blessed to have shared this experience with them.

In what ways might you be avoiding the pains of daily life? 
How can you engage on your lifes' journey while saying “No” to the parts that feel difficult?

We numb ourselves by constantly pursuing achievement and in doing so, 
we miss out on the true joy that comes from actualizing our truest and deepest desires.

Fire is the origin of stone.
By working the stone with heat,
I am returning it to it's source.

-Andy Goldsworthy-

California Dreaming

 
The effort of the struggle to simply maintain,

and not quit is more meaningful than the victory.

 

You only lose if you fail to learn something.

 If your stamina ain't bendin' ...you're just pretendin'.

 

- Joe Lewis-

 

During  Bill 'Superfoot' Wallace seminars, he would distract us from the screaming pain in our legs by making us sing the song, "California Dreaming".

 

 The song distracted us from the 'negative mental chatter' that occurred during the stretching regimen.......

 

Accepting your fears doesn’t happen overnight.
 It takes time and practice.

When you first address fears,

 your mind will tend to fight you.

This also occurs when you are close to overcoming challenges of any kind.

Fear is more intense when it pertains to the unknown.

    Atheists say that God doesn't exist and that death ends individual existence.

There should be nothing to fear from death,

 since your brain just shuts down.

 Christianity says that death brings judgment to the unrepentant.
 
If you go by the odds,
 either death brings the cessation of existence or some kind of paradise that is open for everybody.
 It is irrational to fear this kind of uncertainty.
 
The only uncertainty that should be feared is whether or not Christianity is true.
Get informed and make a rational decision.

At the Joe Lewis Memorial banquet the most powerful message was given by Joes' lifelong friend
Bill 'Superfoot ' Wallace.
Bill told us of a visit with Joe at the V.A. hospital.

 Joe had spoken very little in the final days and was slumped in a wheel chair as they walked outside.

 

 Bill said to Joe ,

"Joe we're gonna sing 'California Dreaming'....
 com'on Joe your gonna sing with me."
 

Bill started as always.....and Joe Lewis, who as early as Tuesday, Wednesday and now again Thursday had been given only a few hours to live ......... began to sing !! 

He sang the whole song with Bill,
 ( I'm sure Joe was thinking 'Ha got you fucker !')

 

 Joe passed away peacefully two days later with his loving children at his side.

At the memorial banquet Bill Wallace had all of us sing 'California Dreaming'.

This time we didn't sing to forget our pain or to mourn the loss of our friend and mentor,
we sang to celebrate his life.......


Courage is Staying One Step Ahead of Fear