Half Empty or Half Full?

Remember when we were adolescents the world appeared to have no boundaries and we dreamt vast, colossal dreams about becoming astronauts, Doctor’s of everything and anything, our favorite superheroes, and even the President? The memories may be vague, but I guarantee each and every one of you can fondly recollect how confident you felt at age five that these endeavors were inevitable and that there was, in fact, no other way for the future to transpire. You may even notice your chin rise a little or maybe you are wearing a modest smile as you reminisce.


As we grow and mature, however, many of us lose this confidence and poise in what we are capable of becoming and we end up living a life that’s mediocre in comparison of what we once envisioned for ourselves. Why does this happen and how can we grow to live to our fullest potential without fear of failure? Quite simply, this happens because we tend to fear failure more than unhappiness, when in fact it should be the other way around. In order to discover and live each day in eternal happiness we must learn to overcome our obstacles and see ourselves reaching our goals through the walls that hold us back. If there is one simple word of advice I can pass on to you, reader, that has changed my entire life, it is this: View these walls in life not as ‘obstacles’ that hold us back, but rather as ‘challenges’ that are put before us to see how much and how far we are willing to push to accomplish something we are passionate about. By turning the negative connotation of ‘obstacle’ into something more positive such as a ‘challenge’, the glass is now half full instead of half empty and we have something to look forward to and to anticipate, knowing that it will help us reach our goals. You see, the walls aren’t there to hold us back; they are there for us to break through, to bring us closer to our ultimate aspirations and in turn make us stronger individuals. By viewing life in a new light and accepting that success is nothing but learned failures; we can then allow ourselves to step over the rubble that once formed a wall.


This past weekend, I had the delight of attending my first ‘official’ Connect To Fitness event where I had the honor of meeting and making connections with a host of professionals in the health and fitness industry here in Las Vegas. Because I am not only new to the area, but am also a newly appointed Director of CTF, this event was beyond words exciting and special to me and I must comment that my expectations were exceeded by every means of the word. Although each person in attendance had different stories to tell, different backgrounds, different lines of work, and different passions, one similarity was entrenched into the hearts of each and every one of us: Despite all of our ‘obstacles’ in life, we all made the decision to take a leap of faith and risk viewing the glass as half full. And we consciously made this decision without even knowing if the odds were in our favor. I felt overcome with a certain humbleness and awe in hearing the stories of so many people and felt incredibly honored to meet so many courageous individuals.


Held at the Professional Fitness Institute (PFI) on Sunset and Pecos, the two hour Connect To Fitness event was planned to perfection by the organization’s President; Dr. Darian Parker, who went above and beyond to make the event special for all who attended. Among the corridors of PFI’s brand new facility were friendly faces meeting, greeting and connecting with both strangers and familiar faces alike and it didn’t take long for the whole facility to become filled with conversation and laughter. Found on the refreshment table in one of PFI’s classrooms were turkey and cheese wraps and fresh fruit that were able to be enjoyed and socialized over. Also, a personally delivered, new state-of-the-art spin bike was available to be demoed by all attendees. I, for one, was astonished by the option of having your own personal spin-instructor lead you virtually through a spin class on the new ‘screen’ feature between the handlebars. PFI President, Charles Ware, and PFI’s Director of Education, Kristina Lindquist, were spectacular hosts and made sure each guest was fully accommodated for.


It was also a great time to debut PFI’s new facility, which comes fully equipped with its own offices, classrooms, and a staggering gym with up-to-the-minute and novel equipment. This all comes in handy during PFI’s monthly Boot Camps where they help develop the next generation of highly qualified Certified Personal Trainers by providing students all across the country the opportunity to travel to Vegas and experience practical and hands-on experience from both the staff at PFI along with other Fitness Professionals and Celebrities. They have partnerships with the top accredited career colleges worldwide and are affiliated with the most respected, nationally accredited personal trainer certification organizations. Being a graduate myself from PFI, I can voucher that it isn’t a week you will ever forget… nor will you want to leave when it’s over. They are the face of helping others aspire to overcome their ‘obstacles’ and develop careers out of dreams.


Being in the fitness industry means that it is our job on a daily basis to change the lives of others and to help them reach their highest potential. We serve a purpose to help others break through their ‘walls’ (whatever they may be) and assist them in becoming the person they are seeking to find within themselves and the person we know they can grow to be. Every one of you has a story as to how you came to ‘be’ in this present moment and what impelled you to break through the barriers that could have kept you ‘safe’ and possibly unhappy. Your stories are what brought you to the here and now, what impels you to succeed, and what will take you to the next step of coming together to create lasting change within the health and fitness industry. In order to rise up against the world and the odds placed against us and what we are committed to accomplish alone; we must take on the ‘challenge’ of breaking through the ‘walls’ separating and segregating us . Alone we are one story strong, but together we are connected through an organization that is dedicated to the limitless impact we can have on the world by being millions of stories strong. By making connections through Connect To Fitness we can expect and look forward to further our progression in a much shorter time. The health and fitness industry isn’t going to wait forever and neither should we.


In this life we are given a choice: Do we risk unhappiness and settle for the comfort of safety or do we break through our insecurities and risk failure for something we believe in and are passionate about? It all comes down to how ardently you want something and to what extent you are willing to put in to achieve it. I ‘challenge’ you, faithful reader, to take the next step, join hands and connect with those around you without fear, without regret, and with the confidence to bring irrevocable change to this industry once and for all.


Until next week, join me in a toast in lieu of Connect To Fitness and let us each sip a glass half full.