The Granny in the Weight Room

She had to be in her late 60's, at least. Sweet, gentle, grandmotherly smile. Short, tidy, salt and pepper-colored hair. About 5'4, maybe, slender build.

Fragile. She looked fragile.

But she wasn't, apparently.

She bent down to lift the plates onto her weight bar in our workout class. Effortlessly, might I add. I looked at mine, and back at hers.

It took only a fraction of a second for it to register...

You have got to be friggin' kidding me! She had more weight on her bar than I did...

Image from fotosearch.com via Google images.

And so it began. My competitive nature kicked in faster than lightning striking a lone tree in an empty field. I mean come on, was I really going to let a granny out-do me in a weight lifting class? If you know me at all, you know there was no way on God's green earth that was going to happen.

So, show of hands... who has ever been outdone by the granny in the weight room? This could be a figurative granny, of course, but for me it was a literal granny.

I go to group workouts at the Amarillo Town Club and attempt to get my butt into gear with classes like Body Attack, Body Combat and Body Pump (yes, they are as hard as they sound). Last week I decided to double up on classes one day. What possessed me to do this I have no idea, but I went for it. First, 60 hardcore minutes of Body Attack. To give you an idea of how intense the cardio in this class is, if you exert 100% of your energy and go as hard as you can for the entire class, you can burn up to 1,000 calories, according to my class instructor. That's right, do the math; that's almost 17 calories per minute of class time. Now, following this class I committed myself to attending a sissies-beware weight lifting class, Body Pump. This one is 60 minutes of high-rep weight lifting. Thing is, you can set your own standards, deciding how much weight you want to lift throughout. You can go as light or as heavy as you need. So, since I had just nearly killed myself in a class the hour before, I figured I'd take it easy for this hour and get the reps in. (You'll come out of this class sore even if you do light weights). I noticed the older lady to my left after I loaded my weight bar for the warm up track.

'Nice and easy,' I had been thinking to myself. That thought vanished like mist on a hot, dry day. She was smiling, oblivious to my rude gawking. It took less than 2 seconds. Less than 2 seconds for me to quickly throw more weights on my bar before the class instructor cranked up the music... and before granny could notice that I had lighter weights than she did.

I matched her weight-for-weight during each track. Sometimes I put a little extra on, just to make a point to myself. After that class, I could barely walk. Once simple tasks like sitting on the toilet became catastrophic feats. Sneezing made my whole body quiver in pain.

If it weren't for that dang granny, I could walk without looking like I had been hit by a bus.

But if it weren't for that dang granny, I wouldn't have pushed myself as hard. I wouldn't have lifted those heavier weights... those heavier weights that, over time, will make me stronger. Much stronger.

That experience got me thinking about a question my friend, Denai Vaughn, recently posed on her Facebook page. "Collaboration or competition?" I have a naturally competitive personality. I want to win at everything, all the time. Basically, you won't beat me at anything. Ever. I can find competition in just about anything (I am the direct result of two highly competitive parents. I mean, 2+2=4, you know?). 

Now here's my question. What is your stance on competition? Was that granny a blessing to me, or a curse? Was it a positive thing to use that competitiveness to help push myself harder than I would have otherwise? How can that competitive nature help, and how can it hinder?

For me, a spirit of competition is essential. It's essential to our survival. It's essential to our success in the work place. It fuels drive, and determination, which breeds strength and endurance. We need that in everything we do, from our relationships (these days more than ever before we have to fight for our marriages to survive), to our work promotions. Strength. Endurance. Focus. Determination. These things can be learned from healthy competition. Of course, sports, in my opinion, are an excellent platform by which to gain these skills that will pour over into adulthood. Traits like commitment and passion are learned in an arena of competition.

There is always a place for collaboration, as my friend Denai strongly advocates. Collaboration is also essential. But for me, you can't have one without the other. Even when you are collaborating in the business world, you are still competing with other businesses in your field, yes? This makes your team strive to do more, be more, achieve more. When you are collaborating with teammates on the court, in the field, you are still competing against your opponents, correct? 

How do you implement a healthy sense of competition into your life, into your work? How about collaboration? Do you think it's true that, although different, the two can complement each other and work toward a common goal when used correctly? 

Competition and collaboration are as different as opposite sides of a coin... but they still represent the same coin.   

Thrive'n Jive'n!

Tuesday's Thrive With 5 event at the Sleep Inn & Suites, 6915 I-40 West, was fantastic! If you missed Breaking Down Business Barriers, here are some key points myself and the other two speakers, Denai Vaughn and Carol Henderson, talked about...

I discussed how to overcome "I Can't" - Information, Communication, Act, Notoriety, and Truth. It's so important to evaluate the information we are telling ourselves. Is it positive or negative? Do you have an attitude of "I can" or an attitude of "I can't"? The first step in overcoming ICS ("I Can't" Syndrome, pronounced 'icks') is to recognize what kind of things are going on inside your head!
Highlights:
"In order to move forward we have to have information about where we're headed. We have to know where we're headed to get there."
"We can know all there is to know, but if we don't take action, nothing will ever happen."
"In order to see the truth - to live in it, claim it - you have to recognize the lies you might be telling yourself out of fear."


Denai, The Networking Queen, spoke on BRAND - Branding Basics, Recognizable, Advocates, Networking your Brand, and Discernment.
What are the basics of branding? Denai advised to choose a brand and an accompanying logo that people can easily identify you with. Also, prepare to be married to your brand! What you choose, you should stick with! Recognize your brand advocates - the people who have your back and will help you protect your brand!
Hightlights from Denai:
"Find what you're passionate about in that industry, find the continuity. Ask yourself, do I want to be branded by the company I'm with or by my passions?"
"If you have advocates they will love what you do because of how you do it. Hurting people, hurt people. You're gonna have some haters, you have to let them go."
"If you're networking your brand, (people) will want to imitate you, but they can't duplicate you."


Carol Henderson, a longtime successful business owner, spoke about budgeting. She talked about MONEY - Mouth, Options, Networking, Excellence, and You.
Carol said it's important to listen to the words you say, because what you say is what you get! When budgeting, options are very important. Pay attention to where you're advertising. What audience are your reaching by advertising in that particular area? Also, the ever-true statement, it's not what you know, it's who know. Get connected! It all comes down to you, Carol says. It's your choice to pursue excellence in your business and your budgeting.
Highlights from Carol:
"Try to bring more to the table than what you promised. Over-deliver."
"Excellence isn't perfection, it's doing the best you can with what you have."


If you'd like to read more about what each of us discussed Tuesday, let me know! We will start working on our Breaking Down Business Barriers online magazine soon (available in print, too). In it we'll have a more in-depth overview of the seminar, and some excellent insight from our four expert panelists. 


What are some of your expert tips about how to break down those barriers inhibiting your success in business? What have you overcome in the past and how did you do it? Share your story here, or email me at mdcoach@live.com for a chance to be featured on my blog!

Thrive with 5

Please allow me a little room to promote, because I am way beyond excited about this conference!
Tuesday, May 17th I will be one of three featured speakers at the first seminar in the Thrive with 5 series, 'Breaking down business barriers,' and I cannot wait!
It is so important to continue pursuing excellence in your business, and in your life. (*ahem* I will also need a little room to preach in this blog post.) If you quit seeking the next best thing and new, potentially better ways of doing things, your business will become stagnant and out of date. You can't broaden your clientele if you don't broaden your reach, that's for sure.
At 'Breaking down business barriers' you will hear insight from professionals on what has worked for them, and what hasn't. You will be able to ask questions and leave with answers. 
I will be speaking about how to turn "Can't" into "Act" and overcoming a little something I call ICS (pronounced 'icks') or "I Can't" Syndrome. No one wants the ics, but it happens. How do you overcome it? "I can't" essentially translates into "I won't." I'll talk a bit about my own journey so far, and how taking chances and turning day dreams into actions led me to places I didn't think I could go. 
Also speaking will be The Networking Queen herself, Denai Vaughn. Denai is amazing and talented, and has tons of insight and good advice! Come ready to take some serious notes, you'll want to remember what this lady has to say.
Our other speaker will be Carol Henderson. I'm meeting with her tomorrow and can't wait to hear what great things she will have to share at 'Breaking down business barriers.'
If you're out of town but want to get plugged in, don't worry, this conference will be available virtually. Yes, I am super pumped about that. I love it when technology trumps circumstance. Ha!
Check out the Thrive with 5 Facebook page for more info. 
To register and for more info check out this website.
If you have questions about this seminar, comment away!
Do you ever attend events like these to learn more about broadening your options in your circumstance? 

Osama bin Laden is dead.

Citizens hang off a lamp post cheering in celebration as thousands of people celebrate in the streets at Ground Zero. Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images. Image from colorlines.com via Google images.

Osama bin Laden is dead.
My first emotion? Relief.
Yes, possibly unfounded relief as we obviously have to be prepared for potential retaliation for his death. But I felt relieved, none the less.
It immediately brought my mind back to the families of the victims of 9/11. The heartbreak, the pain, anger, sorrow. Whatever emotions they felt upon hearing the news of Osama bin Laden's death, among them was vindication, I'm sure. But I also have no doubt they felt sorrow. Sorrow because bin Laden's death, although just, can't bring their loved ones back. But hopefully it has brought some closure.
My second emotion was pride. Pride in the country I live in. Pride in the troops, the brave men and women who daily risk their lives, that represent us, that protect us. I have had family die for this cause. That's something I don't take lightly, and that pride swelled in me like an overblown balloon. 
My third emotion was confusion. But why, I wasn't quite sure. After a lot of thought, I've realized that the confusion stemmed from my warring emotions between wanting to jump up and down and chant, "U.S.A! U.S.A!" in the streets, and mourn the fact that a man had to be murdered because of his murderous acts. A just death, by all means. I don't think celebrating the death of an enemy is right, but I do think celebrating good triumphing over evil is. I believe that when righteousness wins out, when our country stands up under fire and says, 'We will fight, and not back down,' that is something to celebrate.
Regardless of personal feelings, Osama bin Laden's death was a victory for our great country. I do agree that to fill the streets in celebration of the death of a fanatic makes us fanatical. I do understand that the Lord instructs us not to gloat when our enemies fall, and I see how celebrating in the streets could be perceived as gloating. For many, it may well have been gloating.
But for me, for my urge to run into the streets shouting, "U.S.A! U.S.A!" was more about pride in my country.
I get why people wanted to wave our flag in the streets, hold it high. They're proud. They're proud of our troops, as we all should be... they're proud of this victory against a kind of terror thousands have experienced... they're proud to call themselves Americans.
As am I.
God bless the U.S.

What was your initial reaction to the news? Do you think it was wrong of people to celebrate in the streets?