Six Pack and Senior

Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! ….Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?

¹⁰ Woe unto him that saith unto his father, What begettest thou? or to the woman, What hast thou brought forth?—-Isaiah 45:9 & 10

It is clear from these verses that certain things in our existence should never be questioned and it’s stupid to do so. How many of us are still angry with our parents for producing something inferior and it’s our parent’s fault. In fact, many of us use our parents’ failing and imperfections as excuses to not make the effort to be better. If we look at our parents long enough we will find the perfect reason not to be aggressive and determined to climb to a greater place than we are today. Some excuses sort of sound like this, “In my family none of us are hard chargers. We are more laid back. We just love people. or “I hate conflict and discomfort. Both my mom and dad always tried to avoid any bad feelings.”or “if you try to be better than anyone else at something then all we are a show offs and you’re just making others jealous and they will not like you for this.”

Such are the eventual sources of self doubt and conditioning that we assign to our parents. We actually ask them and ourselves, “why have you made me this way?” Instantly ascribing bad things to our parents (“MAKERS”) where no evil intent existed. Thus, we have a ready made mindset that tells us and all others that we “Cannot” do it nor will we try. Ouch!

Basic fact: We have to do it ourselves and it will be painful to move forward to win in life. We will be sculpting a life but pain is the constant companion for us as we progress. “MAN CANNOT REMAKE HIMSELF WITHOUT SUFFERING FOR HE IS BOTH THE MARBLE AND THE SCULPTOR.”

We do not blame our “MAKERS” or others when effort to advance and win is dipped in pain. We are the person who swings the hammer and receives the pain on our own being. Nobody told us it would be easy and often they didn’t tell us “HOW” to remake ourselves. That is left to us.

Bottom Line: Pain is inevitable. Accept it. Apply what’s required despite the pain. Blame has no place but willingness to be different and better is absolutely required in order to withstand the pain of improvement.

Blame nobody. Apply that which is required to improve. Endure the suffering because a better you will emerge from the stone that you are sculpting. You have to believe in this process because everything you want is subject to this reality. If you’re a bodybuilder it will be hard but the rewards greatly outshine the effort required. If you’re a baseball player much of your success that the world will stand up and cheer for is anchored in the acceptance of al l that is needed to be the best.

REMEMBER! ANYTHING WORTH ATTAINING IN LIFE WILL NEVER HAVE TO BE GIVEN BACK. IT’S OURS. BE ABOUT THE BUSINESS OF WINNING!

SCULPTING TAKES EFFORT–BUT IS NECESSARY

All directed suffering is necessary to succeed!

No matter what we want or how we measure success it always requires the twin towers of “DISCIPLINE AND PERSEVERANCE.” By putting these two qualities together there is almost nothing that can’t be accomplished. Let me explain:

First, as always and forever there has to be a single mindedness to winning. Half heartedness is never part of a winners mindset. You see, a winner has already abandoned the thought of failure. This is gone! Nothing can distract him/her. Nothing will get between them and the stated goal.

Secondly, The winner plugs in the required “DISCIPLINE” in every aspect of their lives to win. They are aware of their body and all that it will need go be in top form to win. The winner trains the body with reckless abandon. He feeds it that which is demanded for peak performance. He rests his body religiously to allow for the body to heal and prepare for the next training session. Nothing is left to chance.

Thirdly, the winner has perseverance in the face of setbacks, delays, injury, and failure. With each of these he must get back up and redirect himself toward the goal. He has to overcome things that were anticipated and things that were unanticipated. Each obstacle has it’s own unique set of troubles that inhibit his march to the stage of victory.

In the end, there is no allowance for negative thoughts or behavior that contradicts his goals as they have been set out. The only two things that must be exercised and implemented is “DISCIPLINE AND PERSEVERANCE.” These two qualities are the unseen engines for success. Nobody knows about them but they can see the results. Quiet and mysterious they drive the champion forward to victory.

“DISCIPLINE AND PERSEVERANCE”-—-Harness these two qualities! They are free and yet the most powerful weapons we could ever possess!

“DISCIPLINE AND PERSEVERANCE”—–YOUR FORMULA FOR SUCCESS!!

I was told once that in order to win I must work while the beautiful people played. I must work while they slept. I must work while the gifted squandered their God-Given talents and advantages. Having had nothing all my life, these admonitions have paid great dividends and given me everything to build on.

All of us when we were growing up found ourselves on the outside looking in and wishing that we had some way to be a art of the “In Crowd.” We wanted it so bad we salivated at the tiniest bit of attention this group would give us. We wished with all our being that we could be that “cool” or that we would be cute enough or beautiful enough to be invited to hang out with the “God’s of Privilege.” These days also taught us that these wonderful groups also could hurt us badly while tolerating our presence. I need not elaborate.

I had no magic formula to be better than the “rich and famous.” But, when I heard that I could beat these “Titans of Privilege” by working hard, I was speechless. Finally, there was a way to win in this world without having to suck up to those that had it all. I simply had to work harder than anybody else.

There it is for all of us to gaze upon! In a single thought, “Miracles tend to happen to those who work very hard. “ Accept the fact that there is no free pass. There is nothing that can be had by wishing it to be so. If any of us wants to win we have to “WORK HARDER THAN ANYONE ELSE.”

Any questions? I didn’t think so! Time to go to work.

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How many times have we heard our parents or other caring people in our lives say to us, “Doug, you have to “find” yourself.” It always happens when we are at a key juncture in our lives. They mean well but the admonition always falls on deaf ears or is deflected by a hard and unwilling heart. All of our best people in our lives want only the best for us and for this we are grateful.

God wants us to work. There is honor in working. We are designed to work hard for what we want. Thus, the best we can do for ourselves is to decide what is most important to us. We have to decide that this thing is deserving of all our attention, hard work, and love. Once this is in place there is only the task of working hard to get it. It sounds simple but it is not simple as we all know.

In my humble opinion it’s at this point that we begin a metamorphosis to become that which is required to attain that which we want. It starts with a change of the mind. Wherever we were headed before must be abandoned and I dare say totally forgotten. This little exercise to change our compass is so hard that it wrecks many a good person. Instead of completing the about face the majority of men will begin to make excuses about why it’s not possible to move in a different direction to attain that which they have stated they wanted. For example, “Now is not the best time.” or “I have too many other things going on.” One of my favorites, “If I was like you I’d be able to make it happen.” In every case there is a reason to fail or to even start. But, forgetting those things that are behind us is absolutely necessary to go in a different direction.

Remaking ourselves into the person or champion we want to be is built on the premise that we have decided to be better and the full confidence that it will take herculean effort at times to do it. Each thing we cut off and leave behind is matched by the new things required to win. I submit that all of us can reshape and remake our beings as people y paying attention to the details required to overcome the things that hold us back and defeat us.

Never fall for the lie that anything is possible if we want it bad enough. Wanting something is not enough. We have to skillfully plan and execute what is needed to recreating ourselves.

Envision the body or accomplishment you desire. Get started cutting away anything that keeps us where we are. Pour yourselves into the effort to have what you desire. Never give away your dreams along with the person you want to become.

In closing, there is no such thing as wishing your goals into existence. You have to work like theres’s not tomorrow in order to become that new person…..You Must go about the business of creating yourself….Not finding yourself. That person does not exist.

Basics and the Start

As I look at the things that I have accomplished in my life, they have all occurred because I “chose” to win or at the very least I dared to step onto the field of contest. Baseball has always been a part of my life. Sitting on the bench “wishing” I could be on the field has never been an option. I used to sit expectantly on the bench hoping the coach would notice me and see my willingness to give it my all. More often than I would like to admit…..I was ignored and forgotten. The game would end and I would carry my baseball glove home alone. It was not what I anticipated or wanted.

The Lesson

Then, after awhile it occurred to me that I would never be selected simply because I showed up. I decided to be pro-active and “Prepare” to be selected. I played catch against the wall by myself. I got into as many pick up games as possible. I played catch and shagged fly balls. I was getting better and I knew it. Then, I got my chance when I was just 11. First organized baseball game I ever played and I hit one out of the park. Got a single. Drove in 3 runs. Made 2 shoe string catches in the outfield. Result! I made the all star team playing with much older kids. I Got a full spread article in the local news paper. This one single event set the tone for the rest of my athletic life and life in general. Hall of Fame Football Coach from the University of Alabama, Bear Bryant said it best, “Winning?! Hell! Everybody wants to win but winning is reserved for him who prepares to win.”
Boom! All formulas were solved! The golden rule for winning is “PREPARATION.”

The Gym

In the gym I keep to myself and train with intent. I know what I want to accomplish with each workout and I’ve worked it through on paper before I start. I train alone so I have nobody to blame for under training or failure except myself. I want to win so I employ the basics of “DISCIPLINE”

1.) I decide that winning is what I want

2.) Then, I devise a plan to get from where I start to my end goal.

3) Execution! The plan has to be adhered to daily….I don’t miss workouts!

4.) I set my will “LIKE FLINT” toward to stated goal. Nothing gets in my way.

5.) When I have “WON” I am able to look back to the the things that I had to do well. It all took personal “DISCIPLINE”…..”REGRET” at this point has no place in my mind, my life, my soul. Even if I did not “WIN” I know that “DISCIPLINE” had its full freedom to cause greatness to emerge.

Never forget that “DISCIPLINE” will steer you away from “REGRET” which is the same as death to me.

When you run out of talent “DISCIPLINE” will take you home.

go to: http://www.sixpackandsenior.com

Wow! Some of the deepest truths are right in front of us and only need to be stated or revealed. Bunches of times all of us have taken on something with the attitude that this whole effort is “impossible” and so we ask, “why start on it anyway.?” We essentially have decided that we are doomed before we even start. I hate this feeling that the task we have to complete is too big, too hard or unreachable. I think I should just go home, leaving the job undone.

Well, the truth that often reveals itself is, “Get your butt in gear and start. The rest will fall into place and the job will be completed.” Bingo! A great bit of wisdom is also imparted to our unbelieving heart.

Bodybuilding for me has the same self-defeating pitfalls. Each time I get up on stage I think that I’m too fat. Not big enough. I’m not good at posing. In my case, “I’m too old. Its’ easy to scrap the entire contest for any or all of these reasons/excuses. But, I don’t. I do my best no matter what. Along the way I am imparted a large dose of wisdom. God says, “You do the work and I will finish the course with you.” Sometimes I’m a world beater and other times I’m not that good. But, the take home is that “All things seem impossible until it’s done.” Don’t look back and focus only on finishing well. This is success! Nobody can ever take it away from you.

I am happy to take on the “impossible.“ Beat it to death until “IT’S DONE.” In my life this is job one and it needs to be the same for all of us.

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I was lamenting to a good friend of mine awhile back that I wished I had gotten started in bodybuilding when I was alot younger. He looked deep into my eyes and said to me, “Look Doug, all we have is today and that I have tremendous potential.”

Wow! I was humbled by this simple truth. Each of us only has a certain amount of time on this earth. Each of us has an expiration date. So, we ought to spend our time concentrating on the time we have and the time we control. We ought not be looking backward with regret. Famously put, “WE CANNOT UNRING THE BELL.” Also, we have to believe that we have far more to give today than yesterday.

This “1-2” punch of 1.). We control only today because that’s all we have and 2.). Despite our age we have tons of potential to perform and improve. These two points should be the backbone of our very existence. These two points have set me free to live today and know that I am primed with plenty of great things yet to throw into the fray.

Turn me loose God. Today is my day to fight. Today is the day I bring all my potential to the fight.

MANY MORE CONTESTS TO WIN…..STARTING TODAY!

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WE ONLY HAVE TODAY…..USE IT WISELY!

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Spartan Series # 75

In life there are so many things we don’t have access to just because somebody has told us we will never have it. We are given every reason why the thing is out of reach for us. A great one that was repeated to me was, “Why do you NEED to do that anyway?” Interesting in this question which is aimed squarely at the thing we want to accomplish is the word “NEED.” Ouch! I wrestled with this question containing the word “NEED” for a long time. Finally, I realized that “NEED” is totally not the correct word. For me the best word would have been “WANT.” Ah Haaa! the thing I wanted to accomplish is encapsulated in the word “WANT.” I only have “NEEDS” as it relates to survival. “WANTS” are related to choice! I choose my goals and I “WANT” to pursue them and accomplish them.

To “WANT” something “NEEDS” your attention or the “WANT” will die. You will not die because of a “WANT” but your chosen goal and objective will die unattended. Get this right! Don’t let jealous people use the pretext of “NEED” dissuade you from going after your “WANTS.

Go after all the things others have tried to steal from you with lofty words of concern and personal advice. It’s a lie and only you can get what you “WANT.”





“You Don’t Find Willpower”

All of us likes to think that we possess tremendous amounts of the quality I like to refer to as “WANT TO.”  I can testify to the world that most of us possess little to no “WANT TO.”  The basic things that drive all of us humans gets us out of bed in the morning and sets us on our way.  Those basic things are, a full bladder, hunger, new found energy due to a great night’s sleep etc.  However, when it comes to generating drive and energy that is focused on something we want to accomplish we have to “CREATE IT.”

When I wake up in the morning I take a few minutes to bring to mind the thing that is most important to me today.  For me, it is bodybuilding and training.  I don’t have to dig deep to get the “WANT TO” to get up, get going, get organized and get out the door.  But, there are days that it is very hard to generate enough “WILLPOWER” due to illness, injury, fatigue, or some other distraction.  It is on these days that I have to “CREATE” my own “WILLPOWER” because the natural type is just not there.

We have to remember that nothing that you want is easily gotten and rarely is something worth having is won without a fight. When we laser on that which we desire it takes herculean effort to attain it.

I know I’m preaching to the choir here but it is good to bring all this into focus again.

This year I believe I can be the best I have ever been.  But, in order to be that better person I have to not wait for a sign from heaven.  I set the pace. I set the goal. I establish the required discipline to win. To be better is not a passive miracle.  It is attained by self mastery aimed at driving ourselves to the brink of exhaustion to win.

IN SUMMARY, I CREATE MY OWN MOTIVATION! I don’t waste my time searching for motivation.

Until next time, I remain, Douglas E. Graham, Lt Col, USAF, (ret), MHSM