Today I got the unfortunate news on my AM radio that Professor, Randy Pausch died.
I didn't pay much attention to the report, since my mind was on the various tortures that I had planned for some unsuspecting clients...but almost eveyone who entered the gym today asked if I had heard the news about Dr. Pausch. (I'll get back to that thought in a minute)
With months to live, Pausch gave his famous “Last Lecture” at CMU in September 2007. There's an academic tradition called the 'Last Lecture.' at Carnegie Mellon. Professors give it before they retire. Randy knew, after his diagnosis, that he wanted to give his own final lecture on "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams" .
He would talk about his life's journey and the lessons he's learned along the way. Although he gave this talk to his students, it was always with the intent of leaving the video-taped lecture, as his own final legacy, for his three small children. That September 18, 2007 lecture before 400 people at Carnegie Mellon University was complete with slides of his CT scans and a description of the cancer that was devouring his pancreas and that would most likely claim in his life in a matter of months.
Randy Pausch's 'Last Lecture" was video-taped and ended up on the Internet where it has since been downloaded more than 6 million times. Randy Pausch ended up being on You Tube, and on the Oprah Show,where he reprised his "Last Lecture".
He was also featured on an ABC special called "The Last Lecture: A Love Story for Your Life" where the family formed a strong link with ABC news reporter, Diane Sawyer. This amazing man and his overwhelmingly inspirational speech has reached, touched and exploded 10 million hearts and at least six of my clients today.
He didn't just give a speech about achieving childhood dreams, or living your life, or what you would do if you were told that you only had six months left to live." No, it was much more than that, he gave us the ability to hope and dream. To shift our attention from the cards that were delt to us to how we might best play our hand.
I know in my own experience with teaching and lecturing, that sometimes you have to pull the subject matter out of yourself, and there are other times, where the information just pour out. You passion is just all over it, that is what was so captivating about his "last lecture". Randy's talk may have written itself, but it was a final accomplishment to put that talk into book form. The entire, original transcript of Professor Randy Pausch, of Carnegie Mellon University and his unforgettable speech "The Last Lecture" delivered on Sept. 18, 2007 is on YouTube. If you haven't seen it by now, go to YouTube and search for it, it is a 70 minuites well spent.
Randy had reported, as of May 28th, that the latest round of chemo created debilitating side effects and was discontinued. Previously, Randy has been involved in a number of experimental drug trials and each time, the side effects and the drugs, themselves, have created such extreme problems that they have had to all be discontinued.
Randy and his wife, Jai attended the graduation ceremonies for the May, 2008 graduating class at Carnegie Mellon. Randy presented a copy of his book "The Last Lecture" to Al Gore during the commencement ceremonies and was honored with his 'giving of the charge' at the end of the ceremonies to the young students there that day. View here: YouTube - Randy Pausch Inspires Graduates (This is definately worth the six minutes of your time.)
Pausch was included in TIME Magazine's 2008 list of the world's 100 most influential people. If you view his lecture or read his book, you'll understand why.
When asked about his hopes for the book, a book which continues to be on the bestseller list today, Randy said "I only care about the first three copies." (meaning as a legacy for his 3 children, ages 2,4, and 6.)
Randy Pausch knew he was going to die, but that didn't stop him from truly living, his greatest belief was 'in having fun' in truly 'living your life to the fullest.' Randy was given 6 monthes and managed to stretch out that time span into almost 2 years.
He died, as he lived, doing all he could do to live his life to the fullest, to leaving a legacy of memories behind for his loved ones and for inspiring others...not just in a classroom at Carnegie Mellon, but in places all over the world. As he said in an interview: "I'm pleased to do what good I can on the way 'out of the building'".
Raise awareness he has. Who am I to tell you what to think about. But if you have some loving thoughts please direct them in the direction of his wife, Jai, and their three young children...Dylan, Logan , and Chloe.
But the most important lesson... start really living life TODAY!
Til next time...
Friday, July 25, 2008
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Problems bring lessons? sh**.....
James Allen once wrote...."
As a progressive and evolving being, man is where he is that he may learn that he may grow; and as he learns the spiritual lesson which any circumstance contains for him, it passes away and gives place to other circumstances."
But as I look back at my life, it is easy to see that the times when my wisdom and understanding grew to new levels; those times when I approached becoming the person I long to be, were always after some pretty rough times.
The greatest growth you're going to have is going to come from the negative circumstance you have today that sometimes seems too overwhelming or too big to scale.
In the Byways of Blessedness by James Allen he suggests that there we should embrace our circumstances. "Let a person rejoice when he is confronted with obstacles, for it means that he has reached the end of some particular line of indifference or folly, and is now called upon to summon up all his energy and intelligence in order to extricate himself, and to find a better way; that the powers within him are crying out for greater freedom, for enlarged exercise and scope."
Easy for him to write.... really hard to do. But what I have found is that no situation can be difficult of itself; more that it is the lack of insight into its intricacies, and the want of wisdom in dealing with it, which give rise to the difficulty.
Maybe that explains why it sometimes seems that I can't shake a particular problem, or I have one that keeps rearing its ugly head. Perhaps instead of fighting it, we need to jump in and gain the insight and wisdom to handle it. Then it would be gone, and we would be ready for the next lesson -- only stronger, both in spirit and in wisdom!
Well if nothing else it might be worth thinking about.
Til next time....
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Oh my abs!
Alright I'm aggravated at my profession again, well actually it not my profession, it folks who want to capitalize on people who are unhappy. See, these predators are preying on certain emotional triggers to have healthy ( I use that loosely) people waste their money on their waist.
Of course the thunder storm that woke me out of a sound sleep may have some influence on the tone on this post - but lets not get ahead of ourselves. Besides, getting woke out of a sound sleep is good for a fitness professional - you get to see the latest "fitness" infomercials that you will get questions about the following day.
The Countour! The newest, latest, bestest, great way to loose inches off your waist without doing anything?
Aha! I found the answer!
Oh.... reality hits. Sometimes insomnia is good for a fitness professional. This latest infomercial was on electronic muscle stimulators. I guess they are the the hottest fad... but you want to know "do they really work!" Right?
To answer that question, let’s start with a little background information on what this equipment was originally designed for. Electric ab stimulators were (and still are) used in medical rehab situations. They are designed to keep muscles from atrophying (wasting away) in situations where a limb must be immobilized. For example, if you broke your leg, the doctor could place an electrode on the muscle and use electricity to make it contract. This would provide a minimum level of stimulation, thus keeping the muscle active.
As far as building muscle, (TV ads claim) about forty years of research says NO. The level of electrical stimulation necessary to build up the abdominal muscles to what you see on TV would be extremely high, and painful.
Many companies that sell these belts also claim that the belts help burn fat. In reality, the small muscle contractions produced by these belts burn about as many calories as the effort required to take the belt out of the box and put the batteries in.
If you read the fine print in these ads, you will also notice that the instructions for use also include a suggested exercise and nutrition plan. This, without a doubt, would be the true source of the results people get from this equipment.
But what about people you may know who have tried the belts and say that they feel something when they use it? Let’s put it this way... the belt does provide a small level of stimulation to the abdominal muscles. When a person’s abs are totally lacking any form of stimulation, any amount of stimulation has the potential to produce results. It is simply a matter of something is better than nothing (in this case, not a whole lot better, though).
A much better solution for working your abdominal muscles effectively is to do the unglamorous core exercises. It may not send electric shocks into your guts but it will get the job done. Even crunches done properly and regularly, won’t burn fat but they will definitely tighten up your abs.
Do electric ab stimulators work? In a nutshell, no. These companies are simply preying upon society’s desire for results without effort. Don’t be fooled by the hype.
Now its time for a nap..... Til next time.
Of course the thunder storm that woke me out of a sound sleep may have some influence on the tone on this post - but lets not get ahead of ourselves. Besides, getting woke out of a sound sleep is good for a fitness professional - you get to see the latest "fitness" infomercials that you will get questions about the following day.
The Countour! The newest, latest, bestest, great way to loose inches off your waist without doing anything?
Aha! I found the answer!
Oh.... reality hits. Sometimes insomnia is good for a fitness professional. This latest infomercial was on electronic muscle stimulators. I guess they are the the hottest fad... but you want to know "do they really work!" Right?
To answer that question, let’s start with a little background information on what this equipment was originally designed for. Electric ab stimulators were (and still are) used in medical rehab situations. They are designed to keep muscles from atrophying (wasting away) in situations where a limb must be immobilized. For example, if you broke your leg, the doctor could place an electrode on the muscle and use electricity to make it contract. This would provide a minimum level of stimulation, thus keeping the muscle active.
As far as building muscle, (TV ads claim) about forty years of research says NO. The level of electrical stimulation necessary to build up the abdominal muscles to what you see on TV would be extremely high, and painful.
Many companies that sell these belts also claim that the belts help burn fat. In reality, the small muscle contractions produced by these belts burn about as many calories as the effort required to take the belt out of the box and put the batteries in.
If you read the fine print in these ads, you will also notice that the instructions for use also include a suggested exercise and nutrition plan. This, without a doubt, would be the true source of the results people get from this equipment.
But what about people you may know who have tried the belts and say that they feel something when they use it? Let’s put it this way... the belt does provide a small level of stimulation to the abdominal muscles. When a person’s abs are totally lacking any form of stimulation, any amount of stimulation has the potential to produce results. It is simply a matter of something is better than nothing (in this case, not a whole lot better, though).
A much better solution for working your abdominal muscles effectively is to do the unglamorous core exercises. It may not send electric shocks into your guts but it will get the job done. Even crunches done properly and regularly, won’t burn fat but they will definitely tighten up your abs.
Do electric ab stimulators work? In a nutshell, no. These companies are simply preying upon society’s desire for results without effort. Don’t be fooled by the hype.
Now its time for a nap..... Til next time.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Oh say can you....
I'm fortunate enough to live in an area and sitting high enough on a balcony to view fireworks displays in every direction. And as funny as it sounds or reads in this case, the lyrics of Fances Scott Key dropped into my head...
I started thinking about all the those who have not been as fortunate as I. Those who have not been given the same opportunities because they did not live in this county, those who do not enjoy the same freedoms we take for granted. Simple things like fresh water, abundant food and shelter are things that we tend to whine about rather than be grateful for.
No doubt the economy is a challenge, taxes are up, and costs continue to rise, but what about those who have no economy to complain about, who do not even think about the price of gas, because it is so out of their reality it does not compute. People who scrounge for food, or have never ridden in the comfort of an automobile.
This week not only marks the birthday of a country that allows us more opportunities than we can comprehend, but it also marks the halfway point of the year. Are you doing what you can? Have you really taken advantage of the opportunities that have been availed to you? Or are you just coasting?
The entire first half of 2008 has already passed- there are now only six months to 2009.
How are those New Year's Resolutions looking now?
Are you on track with your goals?
If you wanted to lose 20lbs this year - are you down 10lbs already?
If your goal was to do 250 workouts - have you completed 125 ?
IF you wanted to make $10,000 more this year -- are you on track?
It's amazing how time passes so quickly.
Noticing the group of sailors that are passing below my balcony and headed to the local fourth of July celebration reminds me that life can turn quickly. These sailors will soon graduate from Great Lakes Navel Training Station and head somewhere to protect our freedoms. The challenges that they may face in this upcoming year remind me that we should not waste a single second.
If we do, not only do we take for granted the opportunities that our forefathers fought for us. But we also disrespect those who protect our freedoms now. I know how easy It is to get disappointed in our lack of progress and give up. But if those who fought for us today and those who created our country before us did that same thing what kind of country would we be living in today?
So I ask that you look at your life over this holiday weekend and be honest with yourself. Ask yourself one simple question... Have you done everything you could?
If your goal is fat loss- start today
If your goal is muscle building - start today
If your goal is (insert anything here) - start TODAY !
If you're just a little behind -- adjust your plan - make up for it!
50% of this year is gone forever. Will you make changes TODAY or will another 25% pass, then another 50% -- and before you know it -- it's 2009.....
I meet a lot of people in my line of work, and most will tell me "this" is going wrong or "that" could be better, or that they wish they could do this, or that.... (I'm not just talking about personal training clients, I'm talking about fellow peers, employees, athletes even family members)
But very few people actually measure and take stock of their efforts. If you are following a plan to lose or gain X - are you actually gaining or loosing X? And are you doing it at a rate that is acceptable for your efforts? Or are you blindly following a plan that doesn't work, and essentially ignoring that?
Do you track the progress towards your goals and measure them. Or do you hide from the data and "forget" to track your results?
If you remember "SMART" goal setting -(specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely)- one of the keys is 'M' - Measurable. Measure your results.
As we enter the second half of 2008, don't you think it's time to take stock of your efforts? Has your current return been worth the investment? 50% of this year is gone forever. Will you make changes TODAY or will another six months pass, then another six -- and before you know it -- it's Summer 2009.....
Please don't waste a single second.
Start TODAY.
Where will you be at the 75% point on October 1st ? That's only 13 weeks away. Will you be 13 weeks leaner, 13 weeks richer, 13 weeks smarter? -
No matter what, I do know one thing, that the time will pass anyway.... Now it is time for me to buy these sailors a drink and say thank you.
Happy Holiday.
Til next time...
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there...Perhaps its my sense of mortality, or the notion, that I should pass something of value on to my son but lately, I have been much more appreciative of the opportunities that have fallen my way. I notice that I am not taking for granted that I live in a country, where even a personal trainer/tennis pro can earn enough to live in a nice home, enjoy cable TV and be safe.
I started thinking about all the those who have not been as fortunate as I. Those who have not been given the same opportunities because they did not live in this county, those who do not enjoy the same freedoms we take for granted. Simple things like fresh water, abundant food and shelter are things that we tend to whine about rather than be grateful for.
No doubt the economy is a challenge, taxes are up, and costs continue to rise, but what about those who have no economy to complain about, who do not even think about the price of gas, because it is so out of their reality it does not compute. People who scrounge for food, or have never ridden in the comfort of an automobile.
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave...O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
This week not only marks the birthday of a country that allows us more opportunities than we can comprehend, but it also marks the halfway point of the year. Are you doing what you can? Have you really taken advantage of the opportunities that have been availed to you? Or are you just coasting?
The entire first half of 2008 has already passed- there are now only six months to 2009.
How are those New Year's Resolutions looking now?
Are you on track with your goals?
If you wanted to lose 20lbs this year - are you down 10lbs already?
If your goal was to do 250 workouts - have you completed 125 ?
IF you wanted to make $10,000 more this year -- are you on track?
It's amazing how time passes so quickly.
Noticing the group of sailors that are passing below my balcony and headed to the local fourth of July celebration reminds me that life can turn quickly. These sailors will soon graduate from Great Lakes Navel Training Station and head somewhere to protect our freedoms. The challenges that they may face in this upcoming year remind me that we should not waste a single second.
If we do, not only do we take for granted the opportunities that our forefathers fought for us. But we also disrespect those who protect our freedoms now. I know how easy It is to get disappointed in our lack of progress and give up. But if those who fought for us today and those who created our country before us did that same thing what kind of country would we be living in today?
So I ask that you look at your life over this holiday weekend and be honest with yourself. Ask yourself one simple question... Have you done everything you could?
If your goal is fat loss- start today
If your goal is muscle building - start today
If your goal is (insert anything here) - start TODAY !
If you're just a little behind -- adjust your plan - make up for it!
50% of this year is gone forever. Will you make changes TODAY or will another 25% pass, then another 50% -- and before you know it -- it's 2009.....
I meet a lot of people in my line of work, and most will tell me "this" is going wrong or "that" could be better, or that they wish they could do this, or that.... (I'm not just talking about personal training clients, I'm talking about fellow peers, employees, athletes even family members)
But very few people actually measure and take stock of their efforts. If you are following a plan to lose or gain X - are you actually gaining or loosing X? And are you doing it at a rate that is acceptable for your efforts? Or are you blindly following a plan that doesn't work, and essentially ignoring that?
Do you track the progress towards your goals and measure them. Or do you hide from the data and "forget" to track your results?
If you remember "SMART" goal setting -(specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely)- one of the keys is 'M' - Measurable. Measure your results.
As we enter the second half of 2008, don't you think it's time to take stock of your efforts? Has your current return been worth the investment? 50% of this year is gone forever. Will you make changes TODAY or will another six months pass, then another six -- and before you know it -- it's Summer 2009.....
Please don't waste a single second.
Start TODAY.
Where will you be at the 75% point on October 1st ? That's only 13 weeks away. Will you be 13 weeks leaner, 13 weeks richer, 13 weeks smarter? -
No matter what, I do know one thing, that the time will pass anyway.... Now it is time for me to buy these sailors a drink and say thank you.
Happy Holiday.
Til next time...
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