| Confessions of a Professional Drill Sergeant By Kevin Parker |
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Back to The Edge |
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Confessions of a Professional Drill Sergeant I used to work as a drill sergeant in the local county juvenile detention center’s prison alternative “Boot Camp” in addition to being a personal trainer. It’s a military style basic training environment, however, the difference is that our facility isn’t voluntary. A participant or two have escaped. Certainly makes things much more interesting! As I look back on my time there many lessons come back to me. Watching the kids do workouts by the leader of the facility I was amazed by the levels of muscular exhaustion! And as they were being pushed to test their limits far beyond the limits they had set for themselves, I realized the vast majority of us don’t have any idea how “cushy” we have it! I felt very convicted as I watched them train. I’ve struggled with getting my own cardio consistent & to the level of intensity it should be. But you don’t know what you can do until you have to! And for all our soft lifestyles comes a mountain of excuses why we can’t achieve our goals. So lets look at a couple of lessons from boot camp. 1). Our frills in life distract us from our goals. I was amazed to watch teenagers who didn’t have video games, TVs, & cell phones still have a very full day! I’m amazed at how busy I can stay at nothing! We often don’t use the time we have wisely. Whether we’re in a race to keep up with the latest toys or preoccupied with the latest gadget, we miss the boat on priorities. We also overschedule ourselves & then wonder why we don’t have time to workout or for healthy pastimes. We should take a good look at our lives & be honest about what we should keep & what should go because it’s an obstacle. In boot camp, we took away all the obstacles that stood between the kids & their goals to help teach them to focus on what’s important. 2). You will be defined by how you handle adversity! Let’s face it, we all want to live in comfort zones. We even measure our level of success by our comfort zone! Kids in boot camp face adversity by being in the juvenile system & how they handle the adversity of boot camp will most likely decide the direction of most of their adult life. James, the brother of Jesus said it well when he said, “Whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.” (NLT James 1:2-4) How we handle adversity defines us. Do we bravely go once more into the (brink) battle or do we put our tail between our legs and wait for the adversity to pass? How you handle adversity will define how you do with life’s obstacles, including your fitness ones! Don’t shrink away from adversity but step up knowing that you’re not only stepping up towards your goals but are building more character for the next obstacle(s) and there will be next ones! Many of us don’t know how easy we have it and what we consider obstacles in life maybe more excuse than an obstacle. Have you defined your goals? Have you mapped out a plan of how you will get to that goal? Don’t procrastinate any further. You’re only hindering your progress. It can be “could of, should of, would of” or it can be checking off progress, one step at a time. It’s your decision and you’re the only one who can make it! Your brother in Christ, Kevin Parker These newsletters are not a substitute for a doctor’s advice, prescription or care. Please have a physical by a qualified physician before embarking on a workout program. http://home.hot.rr.com/kevinparkers http://groups.yahoo.com/group/drugfreebodybuilding T |
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