Since I
started spreading the message of my business and vision, I have also been getting
a fair share of inquisitive remarks at first glance of my logo. So far I
have been hearing 3 main questions:
1.
"Why is he lifting a big box over his head?"
2.
"Oh wow, you’re all about lifting heavy stuff huh?"
3.
"Shouldn't the guy be standing straighter and more even?"
The first
question is a direct and unassuming one.
I don't mind getting asked in a way that might sound dumb to some.
It's actually like saying "Tell me about this thing here, I am interested
in hearing your perspective."
That’s a
beautiful way of communicating in my opinion.
It demonstrates that they have an open mind and are willing to learn.
The
second question is one that assumes that I am all about one thing only; getting
as strong as possible or doing what many adolescent males speak of: getting huge.
That type of question hits me almost as annoyingly as a low blow
during a sparring session. To hear someone mention that you and your business
are one-dimensional sometimes makes you want to toss the gloves and bring
out the fisticuffs!
Then you realize
that perhaps the person is still young and is only speaking according to how they
tend to think about things in general, their inherited thought pattern.
That notion then scares me. I feel I have
to educate that person on the many aspects of personal training and all that trainers
are actually capable of helping others achieve for themselves. Then I pray they can let go of their
close-mindedness and seek higher levels of understanding of the things around
them.
The third
question is one that shows me how some people keep an ideal or “perfection” in
their head that usually involves symmetry. From what I have observed,
they are the same people who are very hard on themselves for not being the way
they desire and carry a negative vibe from none other than negative thoughts.
Those are
the people I would love to get free of that thought pattern. I was once there and I know how awful it is.
The
message hammered home from observing people’s responses to my company logo is
that you can't please them all, and you can't get your intentions through to
everyone from a mere image. Sounds cliché,
I know, but the truth behind it is that people are in different thought
patterns, preoccupations, solidified beliefs, mental states, and realities
everywhere you go and at any given time... it's like a world of mental chaos out there.
And it’s probably worse than it has ever been.
Why bother with any of this psychoanalysis?
Well
first I will mention that it has helped me understand how to approach others
as a coach for the sake of their benefit.
For
example, the people who asked question number one are more open minded and will
likely be easy to coach with less obstacles to overcome and good self learning.
The people who asked question number two will
likely require more explanation, from different perspectives, and expected to
have less retention.
The people behind
question number three probably require being shown the bright side of things in
life and given gentle motivation in order to open up. These are just three classical examples but there can be many others and variations or blends.
Making observation
of people’s reaction was also to point out something crucial about the reality
of life. One of my present beliefs since
I have shaken free from a past of fear, guilt, and depression is that we
are all in total control of our own reality through the way we think.
In other
words, there is no such thing as an objective or universal reality, but rather
an unlimited number of realities. That
means that our own observation of reality, changes reality. Thought is just that powerful.
The reality
of life for in each of our minds is believed to be a certain way based on
all of the experiences we each have had and memory we have created. It is easy then to believe that life is that certain
way and can only be that certain way.
But we shouldn’t, because it isn’t.
Even the
relationship between energy, time, and space is not truly understood... for all
we know, a change in thought here could displace particles over there to a new
position.
Life is
what we make it... with our thoughts. Thought
is a good thing in terms of interacting, learning and adapting, but thought can
equally be a bad thing in all the same avenues if it traps us.
Thought
is what creates associations of ideas which may possibly block understanding. How?
The block
arises from getting confused and not understanding something. The mind then gets a negative emotion and
creates a negative thought towards that thing and it is then avoided.
This
brings me back to my logo...
Do you
see how the man is holding up a black box over his head? Well the intention was not to have a flashy
logo that makes people say “Cool! He’s so buff.”, but rather a symbol that means
something of value to anyone out there. Let’s
observe this thing together...
The Black Box of Mystery
In
science and engineering, the black box is the mysterious device that is viewed
in terms of its inputs and output results but not understood in terms of its
inner workings. It is a thing of confusion that is there and serves
important functions in certain processes.
The inner
workings of the human body and even the so called "secrets to health and
fitness" today are direct examples of that black box. People don't
understand how it all works so they give up trying the processes associated
with it. A crucial thing to grasp before reading on is that fitness success does not work one way for everyone, it is very much a personal thing dependent on you and what's going on with you.
My point
in including a black box and placing it in the man's hands overhead was not
about lifting up a heavy box! It wasn't even about lifting! It was to say that you can still reach a desired
condition by simply experimenting with your inputs to the body and observing
the outcomes, without ever knowing what really happened inside of you.
That is, MASTERING
a process with the box involved and achieving MASTERY of your being. Do not let the black box be a block, use it
in the way you must with an open mind, and in a sense remove that block out of
your way.
Do you
see how the man is easily holding the seemingly heavy black box and even
walking with it? He has mastered the
process and himself... and it wasn't even that hard for him. He has found the
key to having Limitless Fitness and it was attained “through” the black box – hence the
abbreviation, LF, is sitting inside the box.
The
science doesn't really matter, but being a bit of a scientist does! You
simply have to remove the negative thoughts and understand that a part of life
is keeping an opening mind to learn through experimentation. Experimenting in a controlled manner so you
can at least test and observe which change caused a result.
You don’t
know how to exercise, eat well, or think right to get fit the way you
want? So what! You don’t have to know exactly how. Try by doing something instead of nothing and DO NOT QUIT.
Do even better
by seeking the help of a qualified and successful coach in that field. Let them help guide you through the process
from their own experience to avoid injury and serious mistakes. Then it won't be that hard. What matters most is that you remain OPEN MINDED to try and LEARN.
Learn
from what you have tried and use what you have found to work for you. APPLY your knowledge. Forget
about using the exact methods you have already done that did not work – that’s serious mistake
number one and leads you towards insanity.
You can actually achieve
personal SUCCESS by not even understanding the internal workings
of your body or the “fitness secrets”. Remember to try out new things in a timely experimental manner and applying what you have learned to
work. Before that you need to have positive thoughts, including motivation, trust, and hope, to embark on an experiment. Simultaneous with that is removing the negative, fearing, and doubting mind that blocks
you.
LEARN.
APPLY. SUCCEED. That is the summarized
process using the black box towards self mastery. It is the slogan of my company and is associated
with the Limitless Fitness symbol and logo.
The Mission Behind The Symbol
You now
understand my intentions behind the symbol I use for the Limitless Fitness
logo. I hope you can now see that it has everything to do with you and all of us. It has to do with awareness. Here is the mission statement
which says it all.
The
Mission: to increase awareness of self to each client in order to remove
limitations and achieve mastery of mind, emotions, and body. Total empowerment.
Observing Yourself: Finding Your Limits
You have observed others and the way they think through the questions they ask and the statement they make in interactions. Now consider doing the following observation of yourself:
Have you ever sat quietly and observed your own thought and thought patterns? Have you noticed how you look at objects, nature, and people around you, or how you respond to an interaction with someone?
Observe from a neutral and non-judging manner. Sit and observe it as though you are watching a movie, your thoughts being the actors. Do you see how your mind reacts and the activities it goes through?
If you have not done so, then I urge you to try it. You will learn a great deal about yourself and others. You will in essence be observing the black box which is your mind and which is society.
Do you see any obstacles present in the way you think? Obstacles that control you, stop you, or take you away from that which you truly desire to be, or to have?
You now know the black box that stands in your way.
What will you need to do now, differently than before, to get that which you truly desire?
Please leave a comment below...
Contact me to learn more.
Asim, this post is really wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to many more!