Beating the Odds

I was watching the news the other morning and there was an interview with Michel Oher of the Baltimore Ravens, who has gained major stardom due to his story being told in "The Blind Side." Most people I know LOVED that movie, myself included. He was interviewed on Good Morning America on Tuesday to talk about the book he wrote entitled "I Beat The Odds."

I listened to him talk about his book and a few of the misrepresentations of his life and his character in the movie "The Blind Side." I think the most significant point he emphasized was that HE made the choice to be a successful man, long before
the "wealthy white family rescued him from the street." His words (taken from his book) are as follows: "Any person who would suggest that I would have ended up facedown in a gutter somewhere is missing a huge part of the story. The Blind Side is about how one family helped me reach my fullest potential, but what about the people and experiences that all added up to putting me in their path? As anyone in my family will tell you, they were just part of a complicated series of events and personalities that helped me achieve success. They were a huge part of it, but it was a journey I'd started a long time before." He was not given a handout by being adopted. He knew he wanted to turn his life around and make something of himself. His adoption was a stepping stone toward his success story, but that one opportunity did not define his accomplishments. His success was defined by the hard work he put into being a good student, teammate, player, son and role model. He was driven to beat the odds.

I feel like his story of success relates and speaks volumes to people of all different success stories. The point he is trying to make by writing his book is that it takes a driven person of character to beat the odds. There is no easy road to success; success is a result of hard work, adversity and persistence. There are no handouts in life.
I hear a lot of "If...then" excuses. Here are a few of my favorites:
"If I didn't work... then I would have time to exercise and plan meals."
"If I didn't have such a stressful, time consuming job...then I would workout on my lunch break."
"If I had a significant other to split responsibilities with...then I could be healthier."
"If I had more money...then I would buy healthier foods."
"If the economy were better...then I would find a new job/get a job."
"If I made more money...then I would move out of my parents house."

Unfortunately these excuses are often times true statements. There will always be something hard in your life that insists on holding you back from moving on and creating success. Success comes from courage, taking risks and being proactive. If you settle for sub-par circumstances, chances are, you will stay there. Again, there are no handouts in life. You can have all the keys for success, (great job, personal trainer, personal chef, money, support unit, love, etc) and still be an under-achieving person. The truly successful people in life are those who take whatever circumstances they have, good and bad, and turn their goals into a reality.

I give my clients the tools they need to succeed. I provide them with every ounce of knowledge I have in hopes that something resonates with them that will lead to their individual success. I don't hold their hand, but I support them in their success and failures. I will not take credit for their accomplishments, because they are the ones who continually put in the hard work. The people who actively pursue their health and are pro-active, despite their personal circumstances, are often the most successful people out there. It is easy to look around you and see friends, family members, the people you stalk on facebook, the people you work with...and see the people who are working toward the greater good, and those who have settled for less than.

As I have grown older, I have seen people who are very close to me take the path to under-achievement and settle with their less than ideal circumstances. I also see many others bypass the odds and achieve major success. In particular, my clients vary from single moms, to happily married, to verging divorce, to living pay check to paycheck, from home owning, to apartment living, from old, to young, from suburbia raised, to ghetto raised, white, black, brown, etc. What these women have in common: the will to be better, to succeed and push themselves. They have been given no handouts, no extra help. They make their success happen.
I would hope that regardless of your circumstances, you choose the path to success. If you are under-achieving, there is a way out. Find your passion, set a goal and work toward it every single day. It will never get easy, it will just become worth it. Take advantage of all things that support you and fight against all things that try to pull you back down. It's not an easy road for anyone, but success finds those who work for it.

As always, thank you for taking time to read my rants!
-Bri