13 Weeks OUT "You shall not take things for granted"
Let's blame it on the number 13 that I had a bad week...
It is funny how it is in our nature to take things for granted, and it is not until we lose them that we realize how blessed we truly were, like with our health, our family and loved ones, our friends, our freedom, our income, our job, etc, etc, etc.
I have taken for granted feeling healthy. This whole past week, everyday, I've been fighting a terrible headache that assaults me while weight training and carries on throughout the rest of the evening. This discomfort is taking away my appetite and my desire to get work done. I am also waking up several times during the night since 2 weeks ago. Not fun!
At some points during this past week, I swear I was ready to curl into a ball and cry like a baby, but I didn't.... I am so glad I didn't, I pushed through like a champ.
This discomfort slowed things down a bit though and made me question again my motifs for doing what I am doing with my life, with the competing and with the working in the fitness industry instead of the art and design industry and many more troubling questions.
I have noticed how many people I am helping, directly or indirectly, by writing this blog, by transforming my own body and inspiring others, by working as a trainer and teaching others. But as much good this is bringing to others, I have been miserably failing at helping and saving those who I care and love the most: my family and my closest friends. I am taking them for granted.
Some of them have reached out to me for help and knowledge, as they have followed my journey and realized that I am a source of guidance, a source of knowledge and a source of help.
It is a grey area working with friends and family through your business. In fact some business owners have certain rules about working for/with friends and family and have different approaches to this requests. Here are some of the ones I have heard and my opinion to those approaches (in parenthesis):
1.- Never charge friends or family for your services (But it is a proven fact that people tend not to appreciate what they did not pay for, therefore taking it for granted. This is not helpful when as a coach, you are trying to help someone commit to a lifestyle or habit change, trust me)
2.- Never work with friends and family, refer them to trusted colleagues ( But to begin with they approached me because they trust me. It probably took some courage to accept that they need my help and finally reach out. Referring them to another person they don't know might thwart the little courage they have)
3.- Work with friends and family as you would with any other client (But, they truly are not just like any other client, as there are emotional ties and history and more).
So, what do you do? What would you do?
I have been a failure because up until last week, I have turned their requests away. Yes I am a bad person and this downed heavily on me this past week, along with my headache, because if I am incapable of helping those who I love the most, then what is the point of doing all of this? I already lost a loved one in 2012, what is it going to take for me to realize that I can truly make a difference for them, another loss? a terrible sickness?
I do not have enough money to be charitable and help others by making donations or even to coach others for free. I am not famous enough so that if I do, think or say something positive, enough people would hear me out to make a difference in this world. I do not have enough time in my day to help everyone that I want to help. But what I do have is enough knowledge and time to help those who I love the most, and if I don't have enough time, then I will make time for them.
This past week I made the personal commitment to set some time aside to hear them out and help them out, and to provide for them the information that they are ready to take on and make, as little as it can be, any change that will get them closer to being happier and healthier.
Sometimes pain helps you see things more clearly. Perhaps this headache has enlightened me in some new ways.
It is funny how it is in our nature to take things for granted, and it is not until we lose them that we realize how blessed we truly were, like with our health, our family and loved ones, our friends, our freedom, our income, our job, etc, etc, etc.
I have taken for granted feeling healthy. This whole past week, everyday, I've been fighting a terrible headache that assaults me while weight training and carries on throughout the rest of the evening. This discomfort is taking away my appetite and my desire to get work done. I am also waking up several times during the night since 2 weeks ago. Not fun!
At some points during this past week, I swear I was ready to curl into a ball and cry like a baby, but I didn't.... I am so glad I didn't, I pushed through like a champ.
This discomfort slowed things down a bit though and made me question again my motifs for doing what I am doing with my life, with the competing and with the working in the fitness industry instead of the art and design industry and many more troubling questions.
I have noticed how many people I am helping, directly or indirectly, by writing this blog, by transforming my own body and inspiring others, by working as a trainer and teaching others. But as much good this is bringing to others, I have been miserably failing at helping and saving those who I care and love the most: my family and my closest friends. I am taking them for granted.
Some of them have reached out to me for help and knowledge, as they have followed my journey and realized that I am a source of guidance, a source of knowledge and a source of help.
It is a grey area working with friends and family through your business. In fact some business owners have certain rules about working for/with friends and family and have different approaches to this requests. Here are some of the ones I have heard and my opinion to those approaches (in parenthesis):
1.- Never charge friends or family for your services (But it is a proven fact that people tend not to appreciate what they did not pay for, therefore taking it for granted. This is not helpful when as a coach, you are trying to help someone commit to a lifestyle or habit change, trust me)
2.- Never work with friends and family, refer them to trusted colleagues ( But to begin with they approached me because they trust me. It probably took some courage to accept that they need my help and finally reach out. Referring them to another person they don't know might thwart the little courage they have)
3.- Work with friends and family as you would with any other client (But, they truly are not just like any other client, as there are emotional ties and history and more).
So, what do you do? What would you do?
I have been a failure because up until last week, I have turned their requests away. Yes I am a bad person and this downed heavily on me this past week, along with my headache, because if I am incapable of helping those who I love the most, then what is the point of doing all of this? I already lost a loved one in 2012, what is it going to take for me to realize that I can truly make a difference for them, another loss? a terrible sickness?
I do not have enough money to be charitable and help others by making donations or even to coach others for free. I am not famous enough so that if I do, think or say something positive, enough people would hear me out to make a difference in this world. I do not have enough time in my day to help everyone that I want to help. But what I do have is enough knowledge and time to help those who I love the most, and if I don't have enough time, then I will make time for them.
This past week I made the personal commitment to set some time aside to hear them out and help them out, and to provide for them the information that they are ready to take on and make, as little as it can be, any change that will get them closer to being happier and healthier.
Sometimes pain helps you see things more clearly. Perhaps this headache has enlightened me in some new ways.
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