"The Performance of a Lifetime"

I stood there, staring ahead without blinking as my heart pulsated through my chest and into the overwhelming silence. Taking a deep breath and savoring it, time ceased to exist as my gaze traveled from the space below to straight ahead where the plush fabric of the curtain stood only feet in front of me. Raising my chin just a little bit higher, the moment departed in slow motion as the curtains opened, slowly revealing the vivid spotlight and my stomach filled with wild butterflies. This was it…


For many years of my life, a big passion of mine was in the performing arts. Having been a singer ever since I can remember, my passion evolved into theatre, on a high school, community and collegiate level, singing the National Anthem at school and community events, voice lessons and writing and performing my own music, dancing to being a dance instructor, as well as being a former trumpet and guitar player. Music was something that gave me purpose and what I loved about it was that it didn’t have an ‘answer’ like most other subjects. No two people in the world will have identical views and preferences on music, and that’s the point. It allows you to be creative both mentally and physically and each performance is different than the last, even if it’s the same show played numerous times.


Dedicating countless hours to one show, song or dance, I always felt the biggest adrenaline rush in the world when the moment arrived to share the outcome of all those hours with other people. Being up on stage or in front of an audience was a challenge that kept me humble and very much so on my toes each day. After a performance, you suddenly don’t feel so afraid of anything life brings and the satisfactory ‘high’ after such an adrenaline rush would oftentimes last for weeks. Going into a production, you know you are going to be spending almost everyday of your time for at least a few months to ‘become’ the part you need to play. Each person on set or in a number has a specific objective to follow and obey and until each piece of the puzzle flows together, there would never be an opening night nor would there be the actual show itself. Although each person involved has a different character, choreography, voice, personality, and wardrobe, it is only together that the show can go on and it takes the entire cast to make it appear flawless. One of my favorite parts of performing was the relationships you would take with you in the end. After spending so much time working together towards a common goal for so many countless hours to successfully pull off what you have worked so hard for, you end up establishing a ‘trust’ in those people due to the heavy reliance on them pulling their weight.


Aside from making the actual production itself a success, the most challenging endeavor in performing in theatre is the initial audition to actually make the cut and have the opportunity to step on stage. Sometimes auditions in themselves can make or break a person down emotionally regardless of how well they do on stage. When you want anything bad enough there is a tremendous amount of pressure to do well and some people crack while others thrive. One of the things auditioning did was toughen me up for the real world of actual job interviews where I taught myself to look forward to the experience instead of fear it. One of the things we tend to forget sometimes is that the director or employer is (most of the time) just as nervous as we are. I mean think about it… Without great people to fill the empty shoes, there IS no play and there IS no business to be operated efficiently without employees. We put so much pressure on ourselves when we should be looking forward to having the opportunity to create the success the interviewer is striving for. Interviewing in itself is actually quite honoring when you really think about it. It’s a great challenge to attack in that you get one shot to make someone believe in you as much as you believe in yourself. But herein lies the problem… We don’t all believe in ourselves.


It may sound like an odd comparison, but as professionals in the health, wellness and fitness industry, aren’t we essentially ‘performing’ each day? Really take a moment to think about it… Each day and each person we come in contact with, we are playing a little piece of their puzzle. It is our job to be who they need us to be to help them reach their goals. If you aren’t able to be that person, they will ‘fire’ you and leave either to fear training or to find another trainer. We become both the director and the performer in our art of personal training and if we can’t adapt to different scripts, scenarios, personality types, situations, environments and conditions, our own production will never happen and the end product will cease to exist.


During an initial interview with a new client, essentially we are testing out the waters and seeing if we will be a good fit for our potential client and vice-versa. Your objective is to see if you can both work together efficiently and be compatible throughout a specific, or less structured duration of time to accomplish a final outcome or ‘production’, if you will. After establishing compatibility, you now have to build trust in each other over time and you, as the professional, have to be willing to guide the client in the right direction by following the script you have taken careful time to map out for them. We see the final outcome of our plans as we are the creators of it. We are able to visualize and express our expectations and teach the client how to get better at playing the new part of living a healthy lifestyle that they auditioned for and are trying to get used to. You, as the ‘director’, have to have confidence in your vision and have to be willing to guide the client into playing the part written for them. You have to carefully guide them into adjusting to their new part and you have to get them to believe they can become this person in order for the show to be authentic. They have to be able to convince themselves that this new roll of exercise and healthy living is right for them. If you aren’t able to teach them proper form, technique, habits, and about healthy living in general, they will remain and stand by their old habits and who they were before they walked into your realm. This is a very, very powerful role to possess and one that many people tend to take for granted more often than not. Think about the first time you ever stepped foot into a gym or your first soccer practice, or even the first time you went on stage. It is awkward to do something you have never done and it takes time to train your body and mind to accept, become familiarized and, most importantly, become comfortable with the lifestyle adjustment.


But you also, as the professional, get to do a little acting and performing yourself as your attitude, persistence and personality must blend fully to match your client and meet them halfway. One thing they don’t teach you in school no matter how many years and credits you obtain is how to actually interact with another person and make yourself fit the mold they need filled. Although YOU are the director, you also have to know how to treat each performer as everyone is different and everyone responds differently to different stimuli. This is why both music and fitness are forms of ART. There is no one answer to any equation or any one ‘right’ answer. If you sit in a room and ask 100 trainers the same question about what they would do to design a program for the same client, not a single one of them would deliver the same exact answer. Would it not be the same if you were to ask 100 musicians to write a song? Just like music, fitness is ever-changing and constantly evolving. If we stick to one idea or one belief forever without keeping up with the latest trends, we will never survive in being truly successful in our art. You need to expand your heart and mind to explore new horizons and accept change because if you don’t, you will be phased out of this industry immediately. Directors in film aren’t still using the same equipment or ‘technology’ that was used when film was first invented, musicians have evolved tremendously over time to create new sound, and YOU need to do the same if Success is to collaborate with you in the future. Having an open mind in the industry could mean the difference between the life or death of your career and regardless of if you ‘like’ doing something in particular, are biased to certain things, or just simply have personal preferences, you NEED to evolve with the changes happening around you and incorporate them into your art. Even though many ends have been tied up in the Land of Science, there is still so much ground to cover and so many discoveries to unfold before our eyes and if you happen to close your eyes and shut off your mind to acclimate to your surroundings, you will fall short of reaching your own goals and will have a challenging time working with people who are interested in the evolutions of fitness. There is no ‘one size fits all’ in any art form and there never will be. What your client wants is more important than what you ‘prefer’ to want to do or are biased towards. You must be WHO your client wants you to be and you must never forget that without THEM, you will never have a blockbuster, number one hit or career.


Perform your best each day on the job by always having more energy and enthusiasm than your client, even if you have been working nine hours in a row. When you are in session, you are playing the part of the ‘trainer’. You must play the part outstandingly each hour of your day and change yourself to fit the needs and wants of your client. You must script a new program for each person who crosses your path and you must take them by the hand and guide them to be the best performer they can be in the role they auditioned for. Don’t just play the part, BE the part. We are the directors and performers and must lead our industry TOGETHER to create the performance of a lifetime. Alone we are one piece of the play... Together we will change the world.


As the audience stood up and roared with searing applause, the curtains drew themselves to meet back in the middle of the stage where the vast illumination of the spotlight narrowed exponentially until the tiny sliver of light disappeared completely. I instantly drew in a deep breath as my stage ‘character’ flowed out of my body and mind on the exhale to return me to the present. As my client walked through the door smiling, I found myself smiling too, knowing I just gave the performance of a lifetime.


Until next time, Faithful Reader…


“Act the part; walk and talk exactly as if you were already the person you want to be.”
-Brian Tracy


"When ever you don't feel like working hard, someone, somewhere else is, and when you meet them, they will have the edge."
-Unknown


“A theatre, a literature, an artistic expression that does not speak for its own time has no relevance.”
-Dario Fo


“The moment you think you understand a great work of art, it's dead for you.”
-Oscar Wilde


“I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.”
-Albert Einstein

Mirror, Mirror On the Wall...

“What is your favorite thing about yourself?”… Belief instills I am correct in assuming I caught you off-guard with that question. Why is it that we spend all day helping other people recognize the greatness within themselves (as health care providers), yet we rarely take the time to ask ourselves personally this same question?


While I was in school, I was really into an exercise psychology book that presented endless ways on how to appropriately approach clients and athletes on a mental level to help them achieve an optimal mindset for performance as well as everyday life. Within the pages of the book, there were numerous sample questionnaires to be filled out by the applicant that could help the trainer, coach, etc… get a better idea of where this person stands on a mental level. Curious, I decided it would be in my own best interest to take the questionnaires as it was part of my studies and something I should experience myself before ever implementing (not to mention I was kind of curious as well…). One of the questions I came across was the question, “What is your favorite thing about yourself?”. To my own surprise, I found myself stopped in my tracks as I actually had to think of what the answer might be! “Well,” I thought, “I guess I kind of like my eyelashes, but as my favorite?... And then I sort of like my skin tone and complexion, but not with all these summer tan lines and that one zit that won’t seem to go away… but WAIT… Do I maybe have a decent physique?... Maybe, but I’m not where I’d like to be.” Sigh…. Why was this so difficult?


Weirdly enough (and I’m sure you have heard it all before), we are our own worst critics. Because we get to spend 24 hours a day with and in our bodies, we get to know every single ‘flaw’, every single ‘imperfection’, and every single thing that could be made better ‘If only…”. We are competitive by human nature and evolution created us to aspire to be a better mate than the person standing next to us. The truly ironic part is that no matter how much we want to be the person standing next to us or on that magazine cover, this opportunity will never arise. We will never be somebody else and we should never want to. Each person has their own individual characteristics of which makes them stand out and special. Each person has their own quirks, their own room for improvements. If we were all the same or if we all spent our lives trying to be someone else, we would never truly be recognized for our own unique qualities, talents, personalities and looks.


One of my best friends and my co-worker, Kristina Lindquist, made a comment one day at our Health Profile Institute Certification Course that really resonated with me deeply and I never forgot it. She expressed that one of the first things she asks a new client isn’t “What are you trying to improve?”, or “What is it you are unhappy with?”, but she asks the question of, “What do you love most about yourself?”. I found this interesting and could completely resound with why this question could possibly be extremely meaningful in a first exchange with a new client. Think about it; We already spend so much time critiquing and criticizing ourselves for our flaws, for our blemishes, for all the things that make us unique. Rarely does a person spend time relishing the things that they love or picking out the certain characteristics about themselves that are positive attributes. As a trainer myself, I found this deeply regarding as personal training in general is based on self-improvement and in really channeling into the things the client wants and needs to improve mentally, physically, emotionally and (sometimes) spiritually. Oftentimes, we face extreme circumstances of clients who are physically disabled, overweight, mentally broken down and/or stressed, on loads of medication, diseased, and just overall not where they want to be physically and/or mentally. If they were completely satisfied with themselves, they wouldn’t be seeking US for help. With that said, we already can assume there are things the client is unhappy with. Of course, you want to find this out as well as it is exactly what you need to know to design your program for them and how to work around their problem areas, however, think about how beneficial it would ALSO be to know what the client liked about him/herself. You would always have that positive feedback to revert back to and embellish upon with and for the client, and by getting them to admit something they are happy about, they can learn to recognize and be proud of their positive attributes and the things that make them special and really start getting acclimated to positive reinforcement. Understand again: Your clients aren’t coming to you because they are satisfied. They want and need you to help them make the life changes that they aren’t happy about and that they feel need improvement. They don’t call it ‘Personal’ Training for nothing. The journey our clients are on can be tremendously overwhelming and emotional, and when we work for hours each week with the people who seek our expertise, we need to help them embrace both the good and the bad. We need to encourage them and let them know they are special. We need to point out both the bad AND the good and help them to see the glass as half full so they can keep pressing forward no matter how difficult the circumstances may be. We need to motivate and coach them through the execution of their entire session, and we need to believe in them and get them to believe in themselves. You are their inspiration!


I see it all the time in those ‘trainers’ who have no business being in this type of industry. They neglect the mental component and aspect of training. Fitness, health and wellness is a universal, personal and emotional thing for all of us, and it is something that everyone in the world can relate to regardless of race, age, gender, religion, etc. Try this on for size… What is the one and only event held in the world where the entire GLOBAL POPULATION gets together to participate in and watch as ONE? The Olympics! Coincidence? I think not. It is the sole event where the entire world can forget about war, prejudism, terrorism, etc., and just be together. Pretty remarkable, huh? Let’s not take this for granted when we are training clients, and let’s realize they are on a remarkable journey themselves and that that journey is and is going to be emotional, life-changing, and unforgettable. And YOU are the one who they have chosen to be by their side throughout the duration of this journey. To help them to see themselves in a positive light and enforce and encourage them to believe in themselves.

So, let’s work on this together. I challenge you, Faithful Reader, to open up a notebook and list everything you love about yourself. And do this with all things aside. This is your own journey and self discovery and we also need some positive reinforcement once and a while to keep us going. Don’t be surprised by your modesty and embrace what it is that makes you special as an individual. Be able to look in the mirror each day and love the things that make you who you are. Feel and become familiar with your own emotions and keep them close with you during each session. Create the example you wish for others to follow.


Reverting back to that fateful day in school… Taking a deep breath, I hesitated as the tip of my pencil hovered over the spaces where my words were supposed to be encrypted. I thought to myself, “You know what, Emma? How is your confidence going to be convincing to those around you if you aren’t even convinced yourself?” So, right then and there, I didn’t just write the one thing I loved most, but I threw in the towel and created a whole LIST. As I wrote, I realized that even my ‘imperfections’ gave me character. The scar on my left knee cap that never went away after I fell off my bike in kindergarten… Hey! I completely forgot about that story! I realized that even the things I considered to be ‘flawed’, were actually reminders of things that made me who I am today, and they also prompted me to remember that I am still on a journey just like the people I train. Although our journeys may have different goals and stories behind them, we are all still together in the journey toward self-improvement (Whatever that may entail for each person on an individual basis).


Embracing what we love is just as, if not more, important than stating and recognizing what we don’t. On our journey to help others bask in this light, keep the list you created close to your heart and refer to it during each of the hours you dedicate to helping another person. The environment you work in and live is a direct reflection of your own attitude and expectations… Let the mirror do all the talking for you.



Until next time, Faithful Reader…


“The human understanding is like a false mirror, which, receiving rays irregularly distorts and discolors the nature of things by mingling its own nature with it.” –Francis Bacon, Sr


“It's not who you are that holds you back, it's who you think you're not.” -Author Unknown


“People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is light from within.” -Elisabeth Kübler-Ross


“I've spent most of my life walking under that hovering cloud, jealousy, whose acid raindrops blurred my vision and burned holes in my heart. Once I learned to use the umbrella of confidence, the skies cleared up for me and the sunshine called joy became my faithful companion.” -Astrid Alauda