If you are here on this site, something caught your attention. But, unless you already know me, you might at this point be wondering: “Who IS this guy, and why would I want anything from him? I mean, what is so special about him anyway?” I guess a good place to start would be for me to tell y’all a little bit about me, so you know what you might be getting into here.

So what IS so special about me? The truth be told, absolutely nothing. I am no more special than anyone else. I am just a guy trying his best to live a good and productive life. I have followed a different path than many, not settling for the typical 9 to 5, married with 2.5 children and a pet lifestyle, but I am still just a guy. I have spent my life looking for my purpose in the world, trying many things and not really finding a good fit. In the process I have managed to see a fair bit of the world, and maybe even lived what to others may seem like an adventurous lifestyle. I have made many mistakes, and (hopefully) learned from most of them. Like I said, just another guy.

I have always been a fairly active person … some would say a bit foolhardy even. When I was younger, like so many, I pushed the limits of my body frequently without taking into account possible future consequences. My youthful exuberance stayed with me, even as my body started that inevitable thing called aging, which meant it often could not keep up with my intent. Then that thing called life started getting in the way, and the next thing I knew I was a middle-aged couch potato with way to many extra pounds, a serious lack of motivation, and worse yet very little energy to pursue any goals whatsoever (even if I could figure out what my goals were).

In recent years, due to both choices I have made, and circumstances not completely in my control, I have found myself basically income-less and effectively living in a cave. Far from homeless, but not exactly an active member of society either. After some deep self-exploration, I decided it was time to start actually LIVING again. I reconnected with the world through the unlikely avenue of blogging (I now have ten plus this one … and I am involved with a couple of others). Things I (re?)learned about myself:

1. What I value most is helping people.
2. I need to start pursuing this again.
3. Ultimately, this means taking care of myself first.

Being the nomadic type person I am, I do not do well with gyms and too regular exercise. I have rarely found anything I could stick with for any length of time. I have explored many avenues for increasing my health and well-being, some more successful than others. They have brought me in a circle, back to a new beginning, and that is where I am now. I am reinventing myself every day, and hope the process may have some meaning for others as well. So I share my journey to health in life and we can see where it takes me together.

That is me in a nutshell. If you would like to learn more, feel free to check out one of my other blogs, or simple send me a note directly. I promise I won’t try to sell you anything unless you want me to haha. But I am always willing to make new friends!

For more information on my many other projects, feel free to visit Learning The Way(kind of my organize myself website).

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Those who fall into the category of healer or caretaker often share one character “flaw”. They all to often forget to apply the same level of care to themselves. This is really true of ANY giving personality. We tend to place others before ourselves, to our own detriment. And this can be a very hard habit to break.

Just ask any mother.

For some reason, such people tend to think that putting “me” first is somehow selfish. Others need me, I am not as important. It takes clear eyes and a bit of strength to see how unrealistic this kind of thinking can be. Not only is it shortsighted, but it can be quite unhealthy.The fact is we are the FIRST people we need to care for, for a couple of reasons. First of all, how can we take care of others if we are unable to function ourselves? And example is the BEST way to show the value of healthy living. Who are you most likely to heed? The smoker telling you how to eat healthy, or the runner?

If we want to help others live happy, healthy live, we first need to be sure that WE are doing the same. In pursuit of this idea for myself, I am going on a journey. I have mentioned it before … my plans to hike the Appalachian Trail. That is how the whole concept of Coach Steve came into existence. But my attempts at creating a life out of this have met minimal success. Not because it is too hard. Not because I am not capable of making it happen. But for the simple reason that I have not been practicing what I preach. How can I expect to guide others into a healthier lifestyle when I have not fully committed to one myself?

Thus It All Starts with a Body is going on hiatus. My hike starts in a couple of weeks. It has become more than just a physical challenge for myself; more than just an adventure. It has become an experiment in redefining myself on all levels. Thus my focus will be pretty much fully on the hike. This site will still be available, and access to Team Beach Body products will remain, and anybody interested is very welcome. I will still keep the ability to communicate open, and will help anyone as much as I can. Having personal plans and focusing on self does NOT negate helping others … but rather enhances it.

Until next fall, I will probably not be posting much here, unless I run across something special worth sharing. I will be focusing on the hike For those interested in following me on my journey, I will be doing most of my blogging on the hiking journal (A Tail of a Trail), which can be seen below. Or feel free to follow the blog directly. Hopefully come next fall I will be a better me, and more capable of helping you be a better you!

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But all aspects of life have their ups and downs. This is only an issue if we do not let ourselves experience both. One can not truly reach the their full potential without pushing limits. And pushing limits means occasionally falling too. To reach the heights, we have to explore the depths. This is a natural part of the journey of life.

That said, part of the reason I got involved with Team Beach Body was because I was in the process of climbing back from a deep fall. I was returning from a fairly dark period of my life … partially consequences of choices I had made; partially a series of unexpected life occurrences. I finally had a long-term goal that kept my attention, and I was willing to commit to it fully. That goal was (and is) to hike the full Appalachian Trail in 2014 … all 2200 miles of it … with a friend. This has become the main focus of my current life. When this was decided this past April, two things needed to happen fairly quickly. I needed to whip myself into physical shape, and I needed to start putting away some money.

Enter Team Beach Body.

I mainly chose that for the options of quickly getting on a track to physical health, and that definitely worked out well. But I was also introduced to the idea of making money with the team, and thus this little project was developed. As I have mentioned a few times, it quickly became apparent to me that I am not really the right person for that gig, even if I will not give up completely. Maybe some day I will make it work for me. So I keep a hand in, primarily so that I might help others find the benefits of healthy living, but also just in case it helps me attain my current goal for next year.

I am bringing this up for a couple of reasons. One to let me know that I am not in this for profit, but simply as a means to a couple of goals: a healthier world and the ability to achieve a personal dream next year. I still believe in the values of what I offer here, and hope to encourage others to partake. My helping them will also help ME keep on track. But I also wanted to promote the other project.  I am not just doing the hike for personal growth, but I am also hoping to raise some money for charity in the process as well. So here is my request. Help me out a bit if you are willing and able. The most productive way for all of us would be to find yourself a program to work with at Team Beach Body. But if this is not a choice you want to make, maybe a small donation to my to the other cause would do? No obligations, of course, but it never hurts to ask.

If you would like to consider (reconsider) a TBB product, you can contact me directly (ether use the contact form or call me at 508-254-7167). If you wish to consider a donation to my hike prep, take a look here. If you would prefer a charitable donation, check out this page. And if none of these ideas appeal to you … no worries. I will not be offended. Maybe you can share the thought with others who might be interested. Or just go on about your lives  Either way, thanks for considering it.

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I have found several programs that have worked for me, and usually what I do when I encounter a new program is to incorporate those lessons that I have learned from other programs, resulting in my own mishmash of fitness tools. Again if I fail, it is because of my lack of commitment, not because of the specific tools. I have found that the resources Team BeachBody have offered ARE quite effective, and I would not have taken up the challenge of being a Coach if I did not believe in the product. I am also someone who believes in the value of helping others achieve their own potential, in whatever goals they set. This has been one of my driving forces for as long as I have been making my own decisions.

That said, what I am NOT is a sales person. All business have products, even if the product is just a service or an idea. And for a business to be financially successful, there has to be an element of sales in it. Team BeachBody does an excellent job at teaching sales techniques, and supporting their coaches in building their own business, while at the same time providing a useful service for those who seek it. Unfortunately, it takes certain personalities to make their ideas work … and for those who have such personalities it can become an extremely lucrative business, both financially and on a pure satisfaction for helping people level.

My issue is I am not one of those personalities!

So what am I saying? Am I giving up? Nah. I am too dumb (or stubborn) for that. But I just wanted people to know where I am coming from. I believe in the products. I believe in helping people. I will gladly help anyone achieve their health goals, if they seek help doing it.  I am still offering BeachBody products, because I think they are good and worth the investment (which isn’t really that much … especially if you become a productive coach yourself).  But I will not pester people to buy product. I will not PRETEND to be a friend just to ultimately sell something … I will be an actual friend, and help in any way I am able. I may occasionally approach newcomers to my site or FB page to see if they are interested in actually purchasing something. Please don’t be turned off by this and feel free to say no. It is just a simple reality that one will never know the answer to a question unless it is asked.

I may send out an email in the near future, or possibly post a survey, to get an idea who IS interested in purchasing something, and who has other needs. It would be extremely helpful if everyone responds, even if it is to say you are not interested. I promise I will not keep asking … at least not intentionally. I may do it by mistake In either case, thanks for being interested enough to follow me, and I hope someday to be able to learn more about many of you, and maybe be of service to you as well.

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That is one of my personal challenges, and why I have periods in my life when I am NOT so fit. Routine ultimately bores me. Even if the routine ends up somewhat varied … it will eventually bore me. It is simply who I am. Gyms have NEVER worked for me. They bore me to tears. For me to thrive on exercise, it needs to be constantly changing exercise, or part of something else. For instance, I love to walk, but can’t stand walking in circles. If I am actually GOING somewhere, then I can walk forever.

Obviously this kind of thinking can make fitness goals that much tougher to achieve. So what do I do about it?

The first trick is not to do it alone. If one thrives on routine, then making our fitness goals part of the routine will make things easier. But even then, sometimes we just don’t want to do it. Healthy living is a lifestyle, and like ANY lifestyle change, it is much easier to achieve when we do it with others. This could mean physically being in the same room with others as we exercise. It could mean exchanging recipes for good eating. It could mean competing with friends to achieve goals. Or simply having someone there to remind us if we stray. I personally find when I try to be my own motivator … when I take the “I don’t need help” attitude … that is when I usually fail.

That is one of the beauties of what I am trying to offer here. This is an opportunity for people to work together to achieve a community of health, instead of focusing on just ourselves. It no only helps to have others supporting us, but it can be a great benefit to ourselves when WE support others. The only drawback to helping each other is it only works if we actually take advantage of the opportunity. I often fail in that area myself, which is all the more reason why I want to try to help others. I need others to keep ME on track as much I a want to help keep others on track. But if neither of us follows through … well then nothing happens.

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Everything we do in life is a choice. Even the mood we are in. People are always saying that they are searching for happiness. My take on it is that happiness is not something to look for, but something to choose to be. If we are unhappy, it is because we have not chosen to take the step necessary to be un-unhappy … i.e. happy. There is no law that says what we seek in life should be handed to us without any effort … if anything, the more effort expended to reach a goal … the more we value the goal. This pretty much applies to all aspects of our life. If we want to be happy … then do what we need to do to be happy. Similarly, if we want to be healthy, then we need to make it happen.The standard argument to this is life often interferes. “I can’t control what life has to offer me.” This is true. But also a convenient excuse. When life gets in the way … find a new path. Don’t just say, “The situation is out of my control, I can’t do anything about it.” If we truly WANT something in the very core of our being, then nothing can prevent us from obtaining it … except ourselves.

I know this as fact, because I have been this person. For the last few years, I have lived in a cage partially of my own making because I could conveniently blame everything on “circumstances beyond my control.” This way I did not have to take personal responsibility for no longer being an active member of society; losing any semblance of being a fit person; for gaining 40+ pounds and having no energy to function. Then my excuses began to fade away .. again life doing what life does, and suddenly I had no more excuses. So at that point I had to choose. Should I start living my life again, and rebuild healthy habits that would make me happy, fit, and an active person again? Or should I find more excuses to hide behind and become the next average victim of a lazy modern society.

I guess you all can guess what choice I made.

The first step to a healthy relationship with the world is a healthy relationship with ourselves. That means to love and respect ourselves as much as we would our children, or any other people close to us. This includes all aspects of ourselves. Our bodies, not matter what limitations they might be built-in, are the only ones we have, so we need to ensure that they work at the optimum they are capable of. This means regular maintenance. Not talking about losing weight, not wishing we could look or do things like that, but actively taking care of it. Once the vehicle is at its prime, then the passenger’s (us) world expands drastically. We can, and WILL do so much more with our lives.

Plain and simply, the very first step to fitness is to DECIDE TO BE FIT. COMMIT! How you do it is not the issue. People who have lost major weight, changing their whole lives, did it not because of the diet or program they used, but because they devoted themselves to changing their lives.  The programs and diets one uses are just the tools. It is the devotion to living healthy that truly matters. That is where I come in here. I have lived with the excuses. I know them all. Now I have made the commitment. But I am taking it a step further. I am also committed to helping OTHERS make their own commitment. Sometimes what is extremely difficult alone, can seem effortless when there are others doing it with us; when we have support. When I first started with Team BeachBody, I was a little turned off by the BeachBody. I am not about my appearance … I just want to feel good and be able to do things. But it did not take me long to realize that the keyword in that phrase is not actually BeachBody.

It is TEAM.

Who wants to join my team?

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