Expect more, Be More

""Always be a first rate version of yourself and not a second rate version of someone else."- Judy Garland

When I was younger I took this quote as encouragement to always be myself. It said to not try and be anyone else and be happy with who you are. As a teenager, that message is a hard one to learn. Everyone had that one friend, that one person who seemed to have everything in their life under control. No--not even just under control, they had it mastered. How could you not want to try and be that person? How could you not want to emulate them? As a teen those were the questions I struggled with, and in those moments when I most questioned myself I could read this quote and it reminded me to be myself.

Years later I am set to graduate with a Masters degree and I have this quote hanging above my desk in my bedroom. Yet today when I read it, it takes on a whole new level of depth and meaning. The words don't only say to not strive to be someone else. In all actuality they don't say that at all. This quote is a reminder to not just be yourself, but to be a first rate  version of yourself. In essence, be the best you that you can be. Anything less than that is akin to be a second rate version of somebody else.

When I went into the health and fitness field, I did so because I thought it was really cool to be able to major in "sports." I know, sounds shallow and cliche, but it's the truth. What I found through my education and professional experience however is that the health and exercise field isn't about just sports and athletes. Exercise and sports science is a lot more about exercise and a lot less about sports than it ever has been before. This field is about changing lives, and not from the outside in, but from the inside out.

 I am a certified personal trainer, a group fitness instructor and a soon to be exercise physiologist. I can train you, push you, and coach you to losing that extra weight physically. With the right combination of diet and exercise, it is only a matter of time before you reach those goals. What I've found to be the biggest challenge in making sincere and dramatic life changes however is not losing the physical weight...it's losing the emotional pounds that have been packed on by years of not believing you are good enough or strong enough to live your life the way you want to live it. 

I struggle with different insecurities every day in my life. It's a constant inner battle that I have to overcome. That's normal. That's life. Self doubt is natural and not something to be ashamed of. The problem comes when you let that doubt consume everything that you do. The problem comes when your doubt overpowers your determination. This isn't just another fitness blog by a young enthusiastic fitness "expert." I don't have all the answers, and to be frank, no one does. The world of fitness is constantly evolving. Research is always advancing our knowledge of the latest and greatest ways to maximize our workouts, diets, etc. I want to use this blog to inform, but more importantly to empower. I won't give you the 5 minute trick to a solid 6 pack, but I will offer insight and opinions into the current fitness trends and how you can best utilize them. 

There is no easy answer to how to live a healthy life. It's all about finding a balance--emotionally, spiritually, physically. I'm still working on my life balance. It's kind of like being on a BOSU ball. The longer you stand on it (the longer you live it), the more comfortable you become. I could probably stand on a BOSU for quite some time and stay nice and balanced. But life doesn't let you just stand still, and when your foundation does get rocked a bit, it's important you have the capability both physically and mentally to hold fast and not lose your balance.

So that's what this blog will be in a nutshell. Don't just settle for standing still and staying balanced. Challenge and push yourself so that when the world pushes you, you can push right back.

Expect more from yourself....Be more for yourself.
-M. Woessner