BLURRY VISION

A)  Vision: the act or power of seeing

B)  Sight: a thought, concept, or object formed by the imagination

All my life I've had 20/20 vision. In the last couple of years, my sight has gotten blurry. Like most males I've tried to just will my vision better. I mean who needs an expert...if you don't acknowledge it, it will go away, right?? Ha! I must have lost some of my magical powers because to my amazement my vision has continued to get worse. 

What do we do when our vision gets blurry? Let me reframe. What do we do when our goals, our purpose, gets blurry? First, we need to make sure we have a definite chief aim. A purpose when it comes to life. Be specific when it comes to your goals. The acronym SMART helps me a ton: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. It can be losing 20lbs, running that marathon, starting a new career/job, or having successful personal relationships. I have found getting started on this path hasn't been the hard part, its continuing when we start to lose sight of our destination. Just like my eyes over time, our purpose can get blurry. What do we do when a cloudy haze fills our vision? 

Speaking from experience and I hope you all can relate on some level. I have found that a few things hold me back from achieving and seeking what I truly want. 

Fear: A) an unpleasant often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger; B) (1): an instance of this emotion (2) : a state marked by this emotion. Failure: A) an omission of occurrence or performance; B) lack of success. 

I’ll be honest, the fear of failure scares the shit out of me. Let me take one step farther. The mere thought of failure gives me a sense of being inadequate and this in turn freezes me with fear. That's why we don't go back to school, change careers to something we truly love, or commit ourselves to meaningful relationships. We stay stagnant in our comfort zone of a bubble because it keeps the fear of failure outside and it gives us a sense of protection. So many times, we start along a path towards something and then we get stuck because we get comfortable. And then our purpose gets blurry...

These strange times we live in give us an extremely rare opportunity. We've been given TIME. Which is rare and fleeting. We've had an opportunity to take inventory of where we sit in life, to be still and reflect on what is truly important in our life, to have time to clear our vision and focus on our Universal given path. It’s been an amazing gift for me. We have TIME to reach out to experts that can help us get back on track: trainers, life coaches, financial advisors, spiritual advisors are just a few that come to mind. Use the experts! It's worth it! 

To those that may be wondering, I went to the eye doctor and I'm now wearing glasses... I can see a ton better. Who would have thought? I love you all. Please share if this can help someone. Would love input on what I can write future blogs on. I want to put out one a week at least. Stay ACTIVE, FOCUSED, DRIVEN and tell someone special you LOVE them today.  Brian 

Cell Phone # 520 449-2011

Email bcoxptrainer@gmail.com 

I am training and doing life coaching if interested. 

Quarantine Growth

4/21/20

Hey, Everyone! I've been trying to stay in touch with the majority of you. I miss my clients and I hope that life is well in these strange times. I've been blessed to be able to work with some of you the last few weeks and I'm extremely thankful for that. I know that a lot of my clients have worked so hard to develop healthy routines. I want to encourage you during this email to look at this as a time to make positive changes and use this time for growth. And I'm not talking about around the waistline. NO quarantine 15 for us!!
 Those of you that have read my blogs in the past know that they can be random, hopefully funny, motivating and the grammar is sometimes sub-par. How's quarantine life? It's funny in just a little over a month life has changed so drastically. Our routines and habits that we cling to have been turned upside down. Alcohol sales are up 55%, Porn is through the roof, Smoking pot and binge watching T.V. has become some peoples new norms. We do live in uncertain times. Its been harder to exercise properly. Easier to eat and drink and binge watch T.V. Some clients have spent more time with their loved ones then they would have ever wished for...  My friend and fellow Trainer Derek Florez made a comment before we went on our unwanted vacation. "People are going to find out a lot more about themselves and who they really are then we will about this virus" I absolutely agree. I think asking some very key questions can help us turn this time into a positive outcome.  What do we like about our new "life" routine that we would like to keep? What habits have we fell into that discourage or hold us back? What do we miss about our old routines? Was the environment we spent our daily lives in helping us grow? Would we willingly go back to it tomorrow? Or... Have we been clinging or holding onto something we should have left years ago?  Take time to seriously ponder these questions. Some of us really enjoy being able to work from home naked... Its a perk. Before, there is an uproar I'm not online training naked.  For some life has changed so drastically that its been extremely hard to to cope or adapt.
I'm a firm believer that when the Universe try's to speak to us we need to listen. I believe in uncertain times we have an immense opportunity to grow and find out what really drives us and WHAT is truly important in our lives. Socrates wrote, "The unexamined life is not worth living." I challenge you today to take this time to examine your life. Work, relationships, family, exercise habits... Leave no stone unturned. Chase after a dream or goal that has been put on the back burner because of the daily grind has gotten in the way. I believe we will come out of this time stronger and better for it. But its necessary to implement changes that will help us grow. Change is scary and fear holds us back from progressing. Lets use this time to develop habits that no virus can take away from us! Please share if this is helpful. Send me questions or topics for future blogs. I encourage you to eat less, move more and tell someone that you LOVE them. I love you and please reach out if you need anything at all! Brian

BEST DRUG ON the MARKET

I believe in the power of exercise for the mind and the body. Exercising consistently will start a chain reaction of events that can and will change your life for the better. Physically and mentally it's the best drug out there. Trust me on this one. Ha... Endorphins and hormones released during exercise give you a similar euphoric feeling as morphine. These endorphins are the same ones chased after with addictive behaviors. Gambling, drugs, binge drinking, irresponsible sex... Chasing after that high. I can check the box on all of those. That's a different blog though. I could argue in moderation all these behaviors are acceptable but usually moderation is not the case when it comes addictive substances.
We also go to the doc for these in pill form.
 Here are  five main hormones released.
Serotonin: Mood boosting brain chemical. When suffering from depression serotonin is usually at low levels. Exercise is a natural serotonin booster.
Norepinephrine: it's a hormone and brain chemical. Increases memory focus and being alert.
Dopamine: the motivation and reward brain chemical. People who are depressed typically have low levels of dopamine.
Oxytocin: the Love hormone. Improves relationships and connection with others. My favorite.
BDNF: brain booster. Helps improve cognitive function and wards off brain deterioration.
Brian, I'm so fed up and depressed that the last thing I want is get up and exercise! I understand that feeling but just knowing this will help, might get you started. Over the years I've had clients come in depressed, sad, angry and just plain down in the dumps like Eeyore. After just 30min of moderate to intense exercise they leave feeling great ready to tackle the world again like Tigger. Its not my charm or good looks that does that for them... It's the endorphins and hormones released because of exercise. As much as I personally would like to take credit for that. Ha..  Exercise doesn't dissolve life's myriad of problems, but it helps us tackle them in the right mindset. The better we feel the better we treat those around us, and more lives can be changed for the better. Find YOUR PURPOSE and use exercise as a tool to achieve it!
 Goal this week. 5 days of 30 min to an hour of exercise. Mix it up with aerobics and weight training. Thank you  for reading my blog. Please comment or share if it helps at all. Love you all! Brian

I prefer an enema

Have you ever wanted something so bad that you can smell it,feel it, taste it? It could be that job, that significant other, that car, that near perfect body. Whatever the goal or object of your desire. What did you do? Did you do everything  possible ? Or did you make a feeble attempt to attain that wish? I've made plenty of feeble attempts and when things didn't happen fast enough for me I went on to something else.
How bad do you want it? Are we willing to do what it takes? These are the questions we need to ask ourselves. Remember no more status quo!
Rewind back to 10 years ago in my life. I was on a landscape job in 100 plus degree weather. I was hot and didn't want a farmer's tan so I took my shirt off for a bit. A truck with 2 country ladies in pulled right next to me and said "hunny, you are way too good looking to be doing this. Find something better that suites you" They then whistled at me and left. I felt like a piece of meat. Ha..I got over it. Though It left with me an extreme feeling of dissatisfaction. I made a vow to myself that I would no longer be looking at others with an envious eye. I would do whatever it takes to succeed. I have my dream job now. I'm in a gym all day. I LOVE IT! It took me being extremely dissatisfied for me to put in the effort to change my circumstances.   You want to be a doctor? Are you willing to study all night, go to school for years, sacrifice a social life? You want those six pack abs? Are you willing to meal prep, hit the gym six days a week and do cardio?  When you absolutely would probably prefer an enema before cardio. I want the  six pack but am I willing to say no to the booze, pizza and ice cream?

 You can always tell when someone is not that interested in someone when they are just "too busy" too spend time with them. If they like them badly enough they will make time. It's simple if we want someone or something bad enough we will do what it takes and put in the time and effort to attain it. We will be out of our comfort zones, suffer set backs and be weary at times. We will feel alone at times with no support system. Want to quit or binge eat because the scale didn't move when we thought it should have.  How we handle the setbacks, the rejections, the plateaus will determine us reaching our destinations.
 How bad do I want it? Ask yourself this over and over.  Stay focused, driven, dedicated and consistent this week. Love you all. Brian

Eye Balls

Passion : a strong feeling of enthusiasm or excitement for something or about doing something
Flashback to high school or college. Sitting in the front seat with your significant other making out like your life depended on it. Nothing else mattered! The world could be falling all around us but the only thing that mattered was the person your body was intertwined with. What happened to our passion for living? I tell you what happened. Life hit us full in the mouth and we acquiesced. We submitted ourselves to the status quo. We half ass our workouts, our jobs and our families. Then we mindlessly watch T.V., drink and use drugs to numb the pain and regret of not fully living. I'm guilty, guilty, guilty of this myself.

I can say without a doubt that at 39 I have not come close to reaching my full potential. One way or another I have sabotaged myself.
 Sabotage: a act or process tending to hamper or hurt
We limit ourselves. Usually, by destructive habits or living in fear. I refuse to continue to allow that in my life.
 My purpose of this blog is to help inspire others to truly live! I was told once by a girlfriend. "Brian, you can't always shit rainbows and skittles" Ha... I know. I realize positive thinking can't solve all of our problems. I know life is extremely difficult. What I want to see in myself and others is a passionate mindset. A strong will and desire to live again. Live life like we are necking in that car. Pure abandon.  Quit doing the things that hold us back. It could be drinking, drugs, poor nutrition, binge watching television or playing video games... Ect... Don't get me wrong those things have its place but when they take over your life because you've lost the will to participate in life it needs to be dealt with.
I'm a firm believer that the eyes are a window to the soul. First thing I look at when I'm interested in someone. Do there eyeballs show a fighting spirit? Is there a fire within showing thru the eyes? The eyes can tell me almost all I need to know. I believe you can tell if someone is going thru the motions or is ready to punch life in the mouth just by looking into there eyes. Let's inspire people truly to live healthy motivated lives this week. Let us fight together to not be the status quo.  Live with passion, desire and true commitment to ALL that we do! We will and can reach our full potential.
Thank you for reading. Next week should be more fitness related. I do believe it all ties together. Have an amazing week. Love you all! Brian

Philosophy of hiking

So it's been a long time since I've written in my blog. I'm looking forward to starting up again. My focus will be mainly on fitness but also living a physically and mentally healthy life. My purpose is to encourage and help motivate others.
 I had a client look at me the other day and say it's nice to see that you're human. Ha... She caught me eating a Philly cheese stake sandwich. I often quote the phrase perception is more important then truth. I've come to realize that's a dangerous way to think. I am deeply flawed. I fight addictions and bad habits every day. I just am not very open about it anymore because I've fallen into the trap of protecting my image. It's what people perceive and believe about you that is important right? False. That mentality allows you to be two different people. And that restricts me from helping those that need motivation and encouragement the most. A man I highly admire and respect says it's not what you do when everyone is watching that's important.. It's what you do when you believe no one is watching that makes your character!
So now what?  You ask.. It's time to get back to the basics for myself and for my clients. The basics in my opinion are exercising hard, eating healthy the majority of the time, and keeping positive growth minded people around you. Participating in activities that challenge you and force you to push yourself mentally and physically. That leads me to Hiking. Hiking has always helped push me to my limits and bring me back to the basics, plus it seems to make me a philosopher... Here we go!
Hiking on a trail is a lot like the path of life. The path of life is full of climbs, descents, peaks, valleys, plateaus, curves, switchbacks, obstacles and detours. You get my point. When I'm on a new trail it's really easy for me to step off my path and get lost or turned around. It's also extremely easy to get off our path in life. Distractions are every which way you look. What do we do? We get back to the basics. We stop, we breathe, we retrace out steps, we see what got us off our path, we get back on the trail and we move forward on our path!
An hour and a half later I'm doubled over breathing extremely heavy after climb after climb, switchback after switchback. I tell myself to move forward to not quit. Don't stop..move! I'm repeating this mantra. Keep moving forward on your path! That divorce won't stop you, that job loss won't stop you, our addictions won't beat us and so many other obstacles we face every day. Don't stop..move forward.. stay focused... i repeat and repeat to myself. I finally reached my destination. It felt good. At the moment I had no thought of what I just endured. I was thrilled that the journey got me to my goal.
We all have different paths and callings in life. No matter what our path is let's encourage others, motivate others, build others up. Help them move forward on there path. Time to get back to the basics. Love you all. Thanks for reading. Brian

Our Greatest Enemy

To my amazing clients,

Thanks for being patient I know I've missed a blog or two while I was prepping for the competition. It went really well and I'm so thankful for all of your love and support.
We all know how people talk to us can affect us on a daily basis. Especially growing up those kids that have parents that love and nurture with kind words of encouragement usually grow up healthy and happy. Now those that have been called a loser or told they were never going to amount to anything usually meets those expectations. Now, let me ask you this. How do you talk to yourself? BRIAN, I DON'T TALK TO MYSELF...I'm NOT CRAZY!!! lol Think about it. We talk to ourselves all the time. Is it positive affirmations? Is it encouraging? Or is it. I'm so fat. I can't do this. Nobody's ever going to want me. It goes on and on how discouraging and mean we can be the most important person alive. YOU!! Look in the mirror. Are you your greatest ally or greatest enemy? WE usually ARE OUR OWN GREATEST ENEMY! WE need to be our greatest ally at all times. I'm not saying to be unrealistic about our mistakes. We need to be able to analyze how we can be better on a daily basis. Make positive changes to be better but constantly beating yourself up is not the answer. Learn, get thou over it, and move the hell on! Do Not Live in the Past! Focus on the future! Believe it or not there was a time in my life I had extremely low self-esteem. I read about looking in the mirror and repeating. I love myself. Over and over again. Like 50 times a day. I LOVE MYSELF. I thought is sounded bat shit crazy. I did it though. It helped a ton. Once, I started actually thinking and believing in myself I naturally stopped a lot of the egotistical things I would do for attention. If you don't have confidence in the man or woman that you are it is pretty highly likely that our co-workers, bosses and family members think about you way you think of yourself.  Those of you that have trained with me a long enough know that I have a burpee rule for anytime to put yourself down in my presence. I want you to start applying this rule to when I'm not around. 10 burpees anytime you talk to yourself negatively. Start today! Remember, procrastination is the thief of dreams! Lets get serious about being kinder to the most important person out there.
Next weekend I'm going to try and write a blog from the GRAND CANYON. I'm excited. Get out and exercise frequently this week. Eat healthy and small frequent portions. Lots of Salads.
Text or call if you need anything.
Love,
Trainer Brian