"If you don't stand for something you will fall for anything."- Malcom X This week, Sarah and I discuss the importance of having core values. This concept seems pretty well-known in the workplace but having personal core values are just as important.

I was having a conversation with a coach friend of mine who helped me become aware that I have not established a set of personal core values. The realization I had was that most of the decisions I hesitate to make are based off of the lack of my own personal values. 

During our gym days, we empahasized the Bushido code with our young students to provide them with a set of basic ethics to approach life. Codes that I've embraced as a martial artist for years to the best of my ability.

But what tends to happen is that we get lost in the storm of life. Your codes, values or beliefs become blurry or misaligned. So it was crucial to takes some time to write down and reconnect with some important values to strengthen the mind and spirit for the fight. 

It is our sincere intention that we've brought awareness to this champion level exercise.  We challenge you to take a moment to reconnect or establish your own code of ethics, so that they can become a beacon light for the next storm that will arise. 

Champ Up

Chris and Sarah

 

Experiencing love, or having love for someone or something, leads us to believe that the experience will be perpetually, as Rocky put it, "all sunshine and rainbows".

When we don't acknowledge the duality of love, we tend to be crushed when plans don't work out, when people exit our lives and when dreams get put on hold.

"Pain in life is inevitable but suffering is not. Pain is what the world does to you, suffering is what you do to yourself [by the way you think about the 'pain' you receive]. Pain is certain, suffering is optional." -Buddha

So when it comes to your own health and well-being, you are doing it because you love improving the quality of your life. With that said, you are expressing what is known as self-love. Taking care of “you” so that you can take care of loved ones. On this journey, you will face set-backs, obstacles and re-routing. It will be painful at times. You will feel like quitting. 

We'll leave you with this thought inspired by Buddhists philosophy:

Love is an ocean, it can be still like a lake or it can destroy everything it touches.

Love is like a fight, you can walk away unscathed and fresh or hobble away battered and bruised.

Love is dichotomy of joy and pain. But remember...pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.

Champ Up

 

 

 

 

“You are more than you think you are. There are dimensions of your being and a potential for realization and consciousness that are not included in your concept of yourself. Your life is much deeper and broader than you conceive it to be here. What you are living is but a fractional inkling of what is really within you, what gives you life breadth. And depth.”

-Joseph Campbell

We are back! 

Took a week off since we were in PR, on a mission for some R&R, but also a mission of sharing Muay Thai with our peeps on  “Isla De Encanto”.

Being there not only gave us time to reconnect with friends and folks that love Muay Thai, it also blessed us with time to reconnect with ourselves, reminding us of why we started the Champ Up Chat in the first place. 

Listen in as we talk about the internal conflicts that we all face on a daily basis. We are all champions in this journey called life, but we sometimes let theses struggle cover up our true essence. We let the “7 Dictators” rule our lives.

When it comes to getting unstuck and back in the fight, it’s not just about “sucking it up” or accepting the cards we are dealt, then settling for less and lowering your standards. It’s about agreeing to find another way, focusing on the tools to guide you through the battle. Then after finding the another way, being aware that down the road, you will do it all over again.

That is the cycle of Champions Uprising. 

Don’t just accept or acknowledge your disappointments and hardships, agree to find a way to grow through what you go through.

Champ Up!!

Chris and Sarah

We've been conditioned, from a early age, to do things on a "have to" basis.

"You have to make you bed or else..."

"You have to do your homework or else..."

"You have to eat your veggies or else..."

We've heard it thousands of times.

Now  as adults, whether it's going to the gym or taking out the trash, we do things because we tell ourselves that we "have to", or else...

It's become so ingrained, we are not even aware that it is how we talk to ourselves and others around us.

It's in our nature to push back when we feel coerced. Even when it's self inflicted.

"I have to get back in shape!" 

"I have to start eating better."

I have to go to the doctor."

The reality is, we don't have to do anything. As humans, we are blessed with the freedom of choice, at all times and with all situations. The beauty is that there is another way. Shift your self-talk.

Instead of saying, "I have to..." or "I need to...", reframe and  say "I want to..." or "I get to...".

This shift will alleviate the resistance that holds us back from being proactive with any goal in our life, especially our health and well-being. 

So the next time you feel like you are forcing yourself to do a task or chore, ask yourself a couple questions...

"Which consequence am I willing to face depending on the choice I make?" 

"Do I really have to or is this something I want to do?"

Thanks for listening! 

Champ Up

 

 

Today Sarah and chat about how as human beings, it's easier to focus on the "things" outside of us to define our success or blame when things don't go our way. Aka the HOW and WHAT of the matter. "What is the best diet for my training goals?"

"How long does it take to see results?"

"How often should I train a week?

"What is the best technique for...?"

These are very common questions that people ask when it comes to health, well-being, quality of life and martial arts. While these are absolutely valid questions, there is a more important question to ask before you concerning yourself with the "stuff" you need to do.

Ask yourself, "WHO do I want to be in order to reach my goals?"

The "WHO" involves embracing character traits. These traits will determine "WHO" you are.

Embodying traits like:

• DISCIPLINE
• PASSION
• HUMILITY
• CONFIDENCE
• PATIENCE
• VERSATILITY
• GROWTH MINDED
• GOAL ORIENTED

No matter whether you are on a fitness journey or martial arts path, decide "who" you are going to show up as on a daily basis to attain the "how" and the "what".

Thanks for tuning in and supporting!

Chris and Sarah

www.crompc.com

"Trust that the universe is unfolding as it should."-Max Ehrmann

Today Sarah and I chat about how labeling situtations in our lives can keep us from truly appreciating the moment. Life is never just a clear distinction of good vs bad and when we can be aware of that we can acknowledge and accept each and every moment as part of the journey. 

I came across the story of the Chinese farmer again recently to remind me of the how the grand overall design of life is what truly matters. All the, seemingly, isolated events are part of our individual paths and what could seem "bad" always has a seed of "good" and vice versa. 

A farmer and his son had a beloved horse who helped the family earn a living. One day, the horse ran away and their neighbours exclaimed, “Your horse ran away, what bad news!” The farmer replied, “Maybe so, maybe not.”

A few days later, the horse returned home, leading a few wild horses back to the farm as well. The neighbours shouted out, “Your horse has returned, and brought several horses home with him. What good news!” The farmer replied, “Maybe so, maybe not.”...

Listen in for the rest of the story.

 

 

"The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away."

- Pablo Picasso

Finding your purpose is so elusive that you could spend your entire life looking for it. But on the flip side you never find what you are NOT looking for. 

Some people live with the attitude, "I'm just waiting to die." To hear that from someone who is battling a life threatening condition that has ravaged their mind, body and spirit is understandable. But to hear that from someone who is fully capable of making a decision to change their world is completely incomprehensible to me. Yes, we all have our own interpretation of what life has done to us but when you haven't even made an attempt to leave this world a little bit better that when you came in, you live WITHOUT purpose.

If connecting with a passion in your life has eluded you for any amount of time, here are few questions that will help you reconnect or live on purpose. (only if you choose to answer them from your heart.

What makes you tear up (in a good way)? Something you eat, sleep, dream and talk about.

What makes you angry and annoyed?    Anger is passion going in the other direction.

What are you better at than anyone else you know?                                                          You probably lose track of time when doing it.

What is it that people know they can count on you for?                                                      Ask someone close to you because they know.

Who or what would you die for?          Knowing what you would die for also gifts you the wisdom of knowing what to live for.

How do you want to be remembered? This is what people are going to say about you after you lived it all out.

What gift will you share with the world?  Service.

Thanks for tuning in...

#champup #allittakesisheart #f7s8 #graceandgrit

 

Exercise is King. Nutrition is Queen. Put them together and you've got a kingdom- Jack Lalane (The Godfather of fitness)

Sarah has dealt with inflammation and gut health issues for most of here life and only recently has she decided to take a stance and change her world. 

Today we talk about how she has inspired me to walk side by side with her to evolve on my path of health, wellness and quality of life. 

Inflammation was only a term that I associated with being injured (too many times in my life), swollen eyes, cauliflower ears, and busted shins. And the way to treat it was with an ice pack. But learning that inflammation is an issue than runs much deeper and can lead to so much more, it made so much sense to address it wholeheartedly. 

We love working out and exercising out our stresses and anxieties just like you. But proper nourishment has been a gray area for the both of us. With an open mind and heart, this journey of eating differently has benefited us in so many ways. 

How is the way that you eat/nourish building  or breaking down your own health, well-being and longevity?

Click here  to enroll for the upcoming 2 Day G&G Anti-inflammatory Workshop on March 30 & 31 at 7pm EST!

#champup #allittakesisheart #F7S8

This week we explore the idea of discipline and how it applies to our journey of health, well-being and other aspects of our lives. 

While discipline is thought of as the most vital component to achieving anything in life, discipline thrives when it's backed by a few other essential components. 

Listen in and open your awareness or even question the concepts that we chat about. Either way, to move forward in life is always about the decisions you make to Champ Up...or not. 

Enjoy the episode!!

Chris & Sarah

Champ Up 

#allittakesisheart #F7S8 #graceandgrit

 

Any and every great physical endeavour started out just like a plant in a garden. A seed planted in the ground, cultivated and nourished daily until maturity. Wherever we are in regards to our physical health is a result of our choices, decisions and beliefs.

I'm not just talking about what the scale says or what you see in the mirror. I'm talking about our capabilities and usefulness as human beings.

In this last episode in our QoL series, Sarah and I chat about the arena that is most tangible to living a sustained quality of life. But to do that, it requires a deep dive into our thoughts. Most commonly, when we talk about our physical arena, we look at how we eat, sleep and move. While those are absolutely crucial when it comes to developing our physical fortitude, because they can be tracked and quantified. What ultimately dictates how we function on a daily basis is the seed that we plant, nourish and cultivate...our thoughts.

The body is the vehicle and the mind is the driver.

How long are you going to wait before you choose, decide and believe in the best for yourself?

Enjoy the episode!!

Chris & Sarah

Champ Up 

#allittakesisheart #F7S8 #graceandgrit