Strength & Wisdom Journal part 8

*** Before I begin this weeks journal… I’m sure you’ve noticed the change in my Journal title from “Strongman Training Journal” to “Strength & Wisdom Journal”.  The reason why I have changed the name of these posts, is because I feel that Strength & Wisdom better reflects the content that has been distributed through these musings.  ALSO, over the course of the next few weeks you will notice several awesome upgrades to this site as well as the quality and quantity of content.  My purposes for this shift will become more apparent to you as the evolution takes place and I show you how this new position will support you in not only maximizing your physical strength, but act as a catapult for success in your WHOLE personal development.  THIS is what really matters most!***

How To Succeed With “Quantum Leaps”

Emerson – Colleen and mine’s middle daughter has taken what seemed like an eternity to stop sh_tting herself.

Unlike her older sister who spoiled us by being potty trained at 13 months, Emerson had been “pooping her pampers” until shes almost 3 years old.  I’m sure many parents are saying that 3 years of changing “crappy pampies” is really not that bad, but we had enough!

For the past year or so Colleen and I had been “training” Emerson to tell us when she had to poop.  We’d say things like, “Emme, be sure to tell mommy or daddy when you need to poop… okay?”

Emerson would shake her head, say “Yes, daddy”… and the proceed to explain why her favorite color is yellow and since the bird outside has yellow feet, she would need to wear yellow shoes (or some random musing of the sort).

Then, no longer than an hour later she would come and climb on my lap smelling no better than the nasty-ass “reclaimed” water that nourishes the public lawns here in Florida (If you’ve never smelled reclaimed water, just imagine sticking your face in a Port-A-Potty toilet bowl.)

Shenanigans of this sort, including the removal of poop from her pamper with her hands, pooping in her Dora The Explorer panties, and pooping in the bathtub with both of her others sisters present went on… FOREVER!

And with each and every “Fecal Failure” Colleen and I would reiterate… “EMERSON! Where does poop belong?” — her reply, “in the potty.”

In one of my least proud Daddy Moments I then proceeded with, “Then WHY do you keep sh_tting yourself!”

Well, I am proud to announce that this weekend… about 5 days ago, Emerson is 100% potty trained.  She even wipes her butt and washes her hands like a big girl.

After more than a year of “training”, something clicked.  It was like a switch was flicked last Saturday morning.

Friday night, she craps herself…. Saturday morning, potty trained.  This was CRAZY!  I still can’t believe how this seemingly instant transition took place.

Even crazier… was what I noticed next!

Tuesday morning at breakfast Emerson joined me, Colleen and older sister in saying grace.  Prior to this day Emerson would either be babbling obnoxiously with her little sister or kicking her older sister under the table while we attempted to thank The Creator for our food!

After grace I leaned over to Colleen and asked her, “Is it just a shift in my personal perception of Emerson since she’s now potty trained or is there something all together different about her?” Colleen affirmed the latter.  “Yea, she is definitely NOT the same child!”

New Personal Advances In Emerson Since Being Potty Trained:

* Talks more and is expressing herself verbosely
* Is more affectionate with her little sister
* Eats (most) of her dinner without being harassed
* More awareness of other people and her environment.

Here is a VERY IMPORTANT principle that I noted that morning and began to explain to Colleen at the table…. “This type of rapid personal transformation NEVER STOPS! Whether you are 4 or 40, your brain, body and spirit is predestined to Continuous Evolution. ”

We NEVER stop growing, unless we decide to.

Personal Growth Happens In Quantum Leaps!

It seems that when Emerson become potty trained, she had also accessed an entire new level of consciousness that not only fulfilled her desire to “poop on a potty”, but was accompanied by a basket full of other, new virtues!

I’ve seen it happen before….

A skinny, young , weak baseball player at the age of 13 joins my Strength Camp.  He can barely do 10 push ups and crumbles to the floor when I ask him to perform a body weight squat… he is structurally and functionally – a mess.

12 weeks later he can squat with a barbell weighing 135 pounds; he can do 50 push ups and has gained 23 pounds of lean muscle.

Besides the obvious physical changes, he is also looking me straight in the eyes instead of at his shoes when talking with me; he is text messaging girls when he walks into the gym; he is wearing cut-off sleeve t shirts and his parents tell me his grades are the best they’ve ever been.

He is NOT the same kid.  He has evolved… with a Quantum Leap.  He has accessed a new, more powerful level of consciousness by simply affecting one area in his life… in this case, his physical strength.

How Do You FORCE Quantum Leaps To Occur?

Like I said, we always have the capacity to evolve… until the day we die.

But, what it takes in order to grow rapidly is something that most people avoid.  They avoid it in one area of their lives which is reflected by the dysfunction in that area or they avoid it all together.

The formula for Quantum Leaping is (Challenge + Consistency)

In order to grow you have to be under pressure.  Most people wait until pressure is placed on them (losing a job, divorce, etc.) before making a shift.

But people who are AWARE of this formula create pressure for themselves to grow.  Theses people love challenges, not for challenge-sake, but because the know that these challenges if approached with CONSISTENCY and constancy of purpose will reap an enormous reward!

What’s better… is that they understand that when they evolve in one area of their life, they can also expect to reap the rewards of growth in other areas as well (like Emerson and the young baseball player). — If they make more money, sex might be better! hmm?

Here are just a few ideas for ways to challenge yourself in order to stimulate a Quantum Leap in Personal Growth.

1. Get Stronger… strong enough to lift a weight that has always intimated you.

2. Apologize… to someone that you have a strained relationship with.

3. Start… a new business on the side if you have a job. (stop wasting weekends)

4. Learn… a new language, instrument or to change your oil.

5. Quit… harmful behaviors (smoking, drinking, drugs, porn)

6. Be nice… to people, even when you don’t want to be. (smile)

7. Take up… a new hobby, sport or art project you’ve wanted to.

8. Ask… for a raise, the sale or a date with that hottie in your office.

Basically, do something that you thought you could NEVER do.

Challenge yourself to talk to people, quit something you hate, start something you love or just to sit…. quietly, by yourself, doing nothing, just sitting, alone for 30 minutes per day.

And in time you will LEAP your way to being a newer, better version of yourself… all around.

Related posts:

1. Strongman Training Journal part 7
2. Strongman Training Journal part 1
3. Strongman Training Journal Part 4
4. Strongman Training Journal part 2
5. Strongman Training Journal Part 5