I was tired... tired of how my body felt, how it moved, how sluggish I felt all the time. I had no direction, no motivation. I had ambition... but no drive to fuel it.
The beginning of 1997 was when it all started to change...
I remember looking through past issues of Muscle Media, the magazine created by Bill Phillips, owner of Body For Life, the megalith sports supplement company, and was struck with a thought. "What if I could become one of those people in his magazine that completely transformed their body too?" I let the thought simmer in my head as I really started to study the people that bravely sent in their before and after photos for the world to see. Yes, their physical transformations were incredible... but I was looking for something more. I was trying to look into their eyes... their souls even... to see if these people were any different than me.
Busting my butt for the previous 7 years, I had been trying to somehow change my body. But it wouldn't change. And I was tired of all the work with no results. So in really studying these "before and after" body transformations of men and women, I needed to know that these people were no different than me. And I needed to know why they could achieve such startling changes so quickly... and I couldn't...
After dissecting the photographs of hundreds of these men and women I came to one conclusion... these people were no different than I was. I said it in my head, and I felt it in my heart and soul. "If these ordinary people could do it, then I could do it as well."
And it was then that something clicked inside me... it was a simple but profound decision... I WAS GOING TO DO THIS!
So I started to train, and exercise, and supplement. And I started to make changes. But then, I quit! Yes, I stopped training, stopped exercising, stopped doing everything these people did to transform their bodies so dramatically.
What happened? I got divorced. The stress of the divorce caused me to turn to food as refuge and comfort. Back then, I rationalized not being able to complete my body transformation journey because of the stress I was experiencing. Looking back, I realize it was simply an excuse. And I used my divorce as a "larger" reason to quit, than the reason I was using to transform my body in the first place.
Even more depressed and without direction than ever, another year went by. Then I saw the photos of the winners of the previous years contest: Porter Freeman, Jeff Seidman, Meridith Brown. And I saw hundreds more photos of people that entered and didn't win, but nevertheless champions as well because of the remarkable transformations they made.
This time I knew that if I wanted to join the winner's circle, that I would have to do more than just "go through the motions". So I searched internally for the reasons why I was doing this contest, what it meant to me, what my core desires for doing this were that would propel me through thick and thin. I realized now I had to find these reasons because "life" has a way of side-tracking all the best laid plans - unless - you have a reason stronger than the inevitable hurdles and roadblocks you will encounter.
Then, I wrote down those reasons, and passiontely envisioned achieving them. Even while working for NASA as an aerospace engineer, I realized I was meant to do something else with my life. Winning this contest would allow me to pursue my dream of having my own company, helping other people get in shape, creating quality supplements that enhanced the quality of life for everyone that took them. This is what drove me.
1998 was still full of hurdles. My father died 2 months after I completed my transformation. But this time my core reasons were stronger than anything that could have presented itself as an obstacle for me.
I was crowned Body For Life champion in my age group category that year. A more prouder or honored moment I could never have felt. I thank Bill Phillips for putting together this genius of a concept -- one that starts with the premise that by changing your body, you can change your whole world as well. Thank you Bill!
What's your reason? Figure it out then "bend" your world to conform to what it is you truly desire. Anything is then possible...
Author Resource:-
Next, get the entire list of 20 "Blueprints" I created that allowed me to dramatically transform my body and win the 1998 Body For Life contest. Imagine finally getting the body you've always wanted! Only available at Harry's Blog
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